Unbreakable Heart
by Angel Grace
Summary: When Rory learns that Tristan needs a tutor, will she volunteer for the job? R/T and P/J (eventually, I think)
1. The Anniversary of Our Discontent

Pairing: R/T, of course

_Pairing: R/T, of course_

_Rating: PG-13 at the most_

_Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1_

_Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television.No copyright infringement is intended.The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them._

_ _

_**Unbreakable Heart**_

_**by Grace**_

_** **_

_**Part 1: The Anniversary of Our Discontent**_

_** **_

Rory sat quietly under a sprawling tree, munching on an apple, focused intently on the worn copy of _Pride and Prejudice in her hand.She didn't hear the soft tread of footsteps rustling the lush grass; didn't notice the lengthy shadow as it inched closer._

Ten feet away, Tristan halted his approach, hardly daring to breathe.She looked so peaceful, so beautiful sitting there, a cascade of dark hair concealing her face from his gaze.It took all of his willpower not to close the distance between them, to brush back that hair so he could see her gorgeous blue eyes.He knew that if he gave in to that urge, her afternoon would be spoiled.After all, she had said she hated him.

Tristan cringed as he felt the familiar twinge of pain that memory always caused.Despite her harsh words, he couldn't seem to find a way to stop caring for her.Just as they had always done, countless girls threw themselves at his feet, charmed by his looks, his money, and his power.Once upon a time, he had believed he could use those girls to make Rory jealous.Now, it just wasn't worth the effort.Rory didn't care who he dated.She didn't even care about him.

Glancing at his watch, he realized Rory's bus would be arriving in a few minutes.Since starting work on _The Franklin, she often had to wait for the five o'clock bus.How pathetic was it that he knew her entire routine?Allowing himself the dangerous luxury of a quiet sigh, he turned and walked away._

Rory closed her book when she heard his sigh._Tristan.She had felt his presence several minutes earlier, just as she had felt it every day that he stood watching her in silence.It was as though she had some strange sort of radar where he was concerned.She could feel his eyes on her, and sometimes she even believed she could sense his feelings and hear his thoughts.The phenomenon made her a bit sad.She had long ago figured out the motivation behind his behavior.For whatever reason, he still wanted to date her.Perhaps it was because she was the only conquest who hadn't succumbed to his charms.She refused to admit that it might be because he truly cared for her.That simply wasn't Tristan's style._

Exhaling a sigh of her own, Rory slowly got to her feet.There were days when she missed the tentative friendship they had begun to build.But friendship was all she could offer him, and he would always want more.

Lost in her reverie, Rory didn't notice Dean's approach.When he said, "Hi, beautiful," she practically jumped out of her skin.

"Dean!Hi!I didn't hear you coming."_So why can I sense Tristan anywhere within a half-mile radius? her subconscious wondered._

"Yeah, I kind of got that impression," Dean joked."Are you all ready for our big date?"

Rory nodded.She and Dean were celebrating yet another anniversary, which was why he was picking her up at Chilton.They were going to some fancy restaurant in Hartford, and Rory had even been excused from Friday-night dinner at her grandparents' in honor of the occasion.Secretly, she wasn't really looking forward to the evening, since Dean was constantly finding new "anniversaries" for them to celebrate.She couldn't even remember tonight's reason, although she had a sneaking suspicion it was for something along the lines of "the first time they admitted watching the TV show _Two of a Kind."_

Ignoring her inner frustration, Rory just replied, "I can hardly wait."

Hand in hand, they walked out to the parking lot.Rory immediately noted that Tristan's was one of the few cars left.Quickly, she glanced behind her, but saw no sign of him.

***

The restaurant was fairly empty when they arrived, since it was only 5:30.Rory was extremely grateful of this fact, as she had skipped lunch to study for a physics test.Within a matter of minutes, she and Dean were seated in a quiet, secluded booth.There were candles and fresh flowers on the table, and the lighting was romantically dim.Rory would have been much more comfortable at Luke's, but Dean insisted that tonight be "special."

They were just finishing up their appetizer when Rory noticed a family being seated at the booth behind Dean.Returning her attention to her boyfriend, their inane conversation about which color M&M tastes the best was almost immediately interrupted by raised voices coming from the other table.

"It's simply not good enough, and you know it!How many times have we told you how important it is to uphold the family name?Anything less than the best is unacceptable!"

Dean snorted."Man, some people…"

Before Rory could reply, another voice spoke up, and she froze."I'm doing the best I can!"

She knew that voice._Tristan.What was going on?_

There was a third voice now, a woman's, smooth and cultured."It has become increasingly obvious that _your best isn't very good.How on earth do you expect to get into Yale with grades like these?"_

Tristan's voice took on an angry edge."I guess I just figured you'd buy my way in, like you do everything else."

The older man, who Rory assumed to be Tristan's father, spoke again."That will be quite enough, young man!You _will find a way to bring your grades up by the end of the term, or you will face the consequences."_

"Yeah, like my life could really be any worse," he commented snidely.

"All right, you may leave now," said his mother."Wait in the car while your father and I enjoy a pleasant meal."

Without another word, Tristan slid out of the booth and stalked towards the door.

Rory quickly stood up, ignoring the fact that Dean was trying to start a conversation."Excuse me, I…need to use the ladies' room."Without even a glance back, she rushed off after Tristan.

He was halfway across the parking lot by the time she exited the restaurant."Tristan!" she yelled.

He stopped and turned, astonished to see her standing there."Rory?What are you doing here?"

She didn't reply until she had lessened the distance between them.Even so, her words came tumbling out in an incoherent stream."Dean…anniversary of…something…booth…overheard…parents …"

Tristan reached out and took her by the shoulders, struggling not to recoil from the unexpected current running between them."Okay, slow down.Breathe."

She paused for a moment, her eyes brimming with concern.

He slowly removed his hands from her shoulders, and said, "Alright, let's try that again.What are you doing here?"

Rory felt as though her eyes were magnetically drawn to Tristan's.Mesmerized for a moment by his blue depths, she hesitated before replying.Finally, in a soft voice, she spoke."Dean and I are here for…some anniversary, and we were at the next table.We couldn't help but overhear, and I…I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Embarrassed that she had witnessed his interaction with his parents, he scowled."Why would you even care?"

Rory's eyes pleaded with him."Tristan, what they said to you…it was inexcusable.I know we're not exactly friends…"

He cut her off."The way I remember it, you hate me."

"I don't hate you," she whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't hate you," she said a little louder.

Tristan's face was somber."Then why did you say you did?"

"Dean didn't understand that we were just friends."

"Ah, yes, the famous boyfriend.Does he know you're out here with me?"

She blushed and cast her eyes towards the ground."No, he thinks I'm in the bathroom."

He turned to leave."Well, then, maybe that's where you should be now."

Impulsively, she reached out and caught his wrist."Please, wait.I'm sorry.If you ever need to talk, I'd listen."

"Thanks.Now go inside—I don't want to ruin your anniversary."

As he watched, she reluctantly walked back into the restaurant.Once she was out of sight, Tristan's shoulders slumped, and he looked visibly dejected.Of all the nights, of all the restaurants, of all the Chilton students…Were the Fates conspiring against him?He had seen Rory with her mother, witnessed firsthand the love and affection that they shared.She, least of anyone, would understand what it was like to be a part of his family.Practically since birth, it had been made abundantly clear to him that he would never be good enough.When he had gotten home that evening, his parents had greeted him with the news that he was currently getting a "C" in English.Before he even had a chance to respond, his parents had hauled him out to the car and headed for the restaurant.Public humiliation was nothing new, but having Rory as part of the public certainly wasn't normal.

Resignedly, Tristan made his way to his parents' Lexus, and entered his leather-upholstered prison.

***

When Rory returned to the table, Dean gazed at her in concern."Hey, what took so long?I was starting to get worried."

Trying to remain calm, she replied, "Oh, I just ran into someone I knew."Noticing that their entrées had arrived during her absence, she quickly added, "Wow, the food looks really good."

Catching her subtle change in subject, Dean allowed the matter to drop.

The remainder of dinner passed in relative quiet.Dean asked Rory a few questions about Chilton, but she never seemed to get into the conversation.She only picked at her food, despite the fact that they were at a four-star restaurant.But the true revelation came when the waiter asked them if they wanted coffee and dessert, and Rory turned it down.

A worried frown creased Dean's face."Rory, what's wrong?I've never seen you refuse coffee before."

She looked at him listlessly."I'm just not feeling too well.I think I'd like to go home."

Dean tried to hide his disappointment that their romantic evening was being cut short."Okay," he said slowly. "If that's what you want…"

She nodded, and averted her gaze once more.She continued to sit in silence while Dean signaled the waiter and paid the check.Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Tristan: the hurt in his voice when he reminded her of the harsh words she had spoken, the pain that filled his normally sparkling blue eyes, the utter defeat with which he told her to return to Dean.

Admittedly, they hadn't had much interaction since she and Dean reconciled.If anything, Tristan had been avoiding her, with the exception of his surreptitious observation of her.Still, she had only seen such despair mar his handsome features once before—the day she said she hated him.

Much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew her conscience wouldn't allow her to rest until she found a way to help Tristan.His parents had said something about his grades, so maybe she could offer to tutor him.She wasn't sure if his pride would allow him to accept her assistance, but she had to do _something._

From his position in the driver's seat, Dean glanced over at his girlfriend.It was obvious that she was upset about something, and it bothered him—a lot—that she didn't want to talk to him about it.He wondered, briefly, if he had done something to upset her, but he quickly discarded that thought.She had been fine when he kissed her good-bye at the bus stop that morning, but ever since he picked her up from Chilton, she seemed distracted.It was becoming increasingly apparent that something had happened at school.A disturbing thought crossed his mind.There had only ever been two people at Chilton who were capable of driving Rory to complete and utter distraction: Paris and…Tristan._Please let it be Paris, he wished fervently._

Trying to sound nonchalant, he asked Rory, "So how have things been going with Paris?"

Startled out of her reverie by the question, her articulate reply consisted of, "Huh?"

"Paris.The paper.Have you guys been getting along okay?"

"Oh.Actually, yeah.She finally decided that I wasn't a threat to her, and she's actually been pretty complimentary of my articles."

Dean felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.If Paris wasn't the problem, then it had to be Tristan.Unable to ask the question that would confirm his worst fear, he instead stared straight ahead and continued the drive back to Stars Hollow.

Wrapped up in her own musings, Rory didn't even notice his sudden silence.Instead, she waged an internal debate about how to offer Tristan her help without having him reject her.

When the pair arrived at the Gilmore house, Rory gave Dean an absentminded peck on the cheek before quickly extricating herself from the car.She bounded up the stairs without inviting him in or even saying goodbye.With a heavy heart, Dean pulled away from the house and headed home.

***

That night in Hartford, Tristan lay sleepless in his bed, staring at the ceiling.After finishing their dinner—which took a remarkably long two hours—his parents had joined him in the car and continued their yelling and ultimatums.They informed him that he would be getting an English tutor.He was told that he would be allowed to choose his own tutor, but if his grades didn't dramatically and rapidly improve, they would pick a new one for him.

A tutor.He could only begin to imagine the humiliation he would suffer once the Chilton crowd heard this.He honestly didn't know whom he could ask.There were a few obvious choices, like Paris, but Tristan knew they would never let him live it down.

He knew who he _wanted to ask, of course—Rory.Who better to pore over Shakespeare's sonnets with?But asking Rory was just as bad as asking Paris, possibly worse, since he actually cared what she thought of him.Even if she didn't hate him, as she had insisted, she certainly wouldn't want to waste her free time helping __him.And even if, by some miracle, she __did agree to work with him, there was no way Bag Boy Boyfriend would allow it._

He rolled over restlessly and closed his eyes, knowing that sleep deprivation wouldn't improve his performance on the pile of homework he needed to finish that weekend.The effort proved fruitless, however, as images of Rory danced behind his closed lids, much as they did every night as he struggled for sleep.He could see her so clearly, standing in the restaurant parking lot, looking up at him with eyes filled with genuine concern.He opened his eyes in resignation.Thoughts of Rory had once again commandeered his brain.

Why couldn't the girl make up her mind?First she doesn't want anything to do with him.Then they kiss, only she runs away crying.Next they sort of get to be friends.After that she gets all pissed because he buys her concert tickets, and tells him she hates him.And _now she wants him to believe she actually cares about his well being?Whatever.And women say guys are confusing…_

Thinking back on the way he had spoken to her earlier that night, he grimaced.She had reached out to him in compassion, if not friendship, and he had shunned her.What if he had just wasted his last chance to break down the wall that had been built up between them?

Grunting in frustration, Tristan hoisted himself out of bed and crossed the room, yanking open a dresser drawer.With short, angry movements, he stripped off his clothes and pulled on a pair of swim trunks.He padded silently downstairs; knowing there would be hell to pay if he woke his parents.

The October air was crisp and cold against his skin, but he walked slowly, hoping the numbness would also penetrate his heart and mind.The water of the pool glistened in the moonlight, and the sharp scent of chlorine assaulted his nostrils as he drew closer.

He bounced lightly on the end of the springboard before executing a perfect dive.As the heated water enveloped him, Tristan at last felt a sense of peace.He had always loved to swim.Some of his favorite childhood memories were of the summers he spent at his grandparents' home on the French Riviera.It was his grandfather who had taught him to swim, to sail, and to appreciate the nourishing and life-giving properties of the water.When high school began, he had wanted to join the swimming and diving teams, but his parents had adamantly refused that he pursue such non-academic interests.

He surfaced from his dive, the water cascading off of him.He swam idly to the side of the pool, catching one hand on the ledge.He tilted his head back, the full moon looking enormous in the night sky.As was his habit, he immediately picked out the North Star and made a wish.

"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."Tristan took a deep breath before continuing."I wish for Rory to understand how much I care for her, and for her to learn to care for me."

Pushing off from the wall, he began swimming laps.

***


	2. Are You a Good Tristan Or a Bad Tristan?

Pairing: R/T, of course

_Pairing: R/T, of course_

_Rating: PG-13 at the most_

_Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1_

_Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television.No copyright infringement is intended.The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them._

_ _

_Author's Note: As a special treat for my fellow FF Trory thread posters, find the Cutting Edge__ quote!_

_ _

_**Unbreakable Heart**_

_**by Grace**_

_** **_

_**Part 2: Are You a Good Tristan or a Bad Tristan?**_

The bus ride to Chilton the next Monday seemed even longer than normal to Rory.She had distractedly kissed Dean goodbye at the bus stop, not noticing the worry and pain etching his face.She had resolved to offer Tristan her help today, and now that the decision was made, she just wanted to get it over with quickly.Much to her chagrin, Tristan didn't walk into their first hour class until mere seconds before the bell rang.Rory was surprised to see that he was wearing a pair of sunglasses, and his normally cocky swagger seemed subdued.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. DuGrey," snapped Mr. O'Brien."Now, since last time I checked this was trigonometry and not a Hollywood premiere, please remove those sunglasses and take your seat."

Without a word, Tristan slid into the desk next to Rory's, took off his sunglasses, and slipped them into the pocket of his blazer.When Rory glanced over at him, she was stunned to see deep purple bags beneath his eyes.He met her gaze without expression, and slowly she averted her eyes to face front once more.

For the rest of the hour, Rory was unable to focus.On some level, she knew that learning the unit circle would probably be important at some later juncture, but her primary concern was Tristan.The minutes dragged by, and by the time the bell finally rang, she was ready to tear her hair out.

She lingered by her desk as the other students filed out, since Tristan was taking his time gathering his books.When he at last got up to leave, she spoke.

"Tristan?"

He turned to face her, his weariness evident."Yes, Mary?" he replied, an edge of sarcasm creeping into his voice.

"Please, I don't want…"

"You don't want what?Can we move this along?"

Rory sighed deeply."I don't want to fight anymore."

His expression softened just a fraction."Then what do you want, Rory?"

She blinked at his use of her name, and slowly stepped closer to him, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart."I want to help you, Tristan."

Instantly, his face hardened again."So what is this, some kind of pity offering?"

Stung by his reaction, she shook her head."No!I just, I don't know, I though maybe I could tutor you or something."

Tristan's heart skipped a beat.Was he dreaming?Was Rory Gilmore actually standing here before him, offering to do what he had spent most of the night struggling to figure out how to ask of her?There had to be a catch."Why?"

Her brow crinkled."What do you mean, why?I heard your parents say last night that you need to bring your grades up…"

He shook his head."No.Why do _you want to help me?"_

Rory became flustered."I don't know.I guess I don't really like how things are between us now.I thought maybe we could try to be friends."

He couldn't go through this again.It wasn't fair for her to get his hopes up, when he knew she would just dash them into a million pieces somewhere down the line."I don't think so, Rory."

She reached out and grabbed his hand."Tristan, please?"

His throat went dry as he gazed down at her hand in his."Please let go," he whispered.When she didn't release him, he pleaded again, "Rory, you have to let go of me."

Still she held onto him, her blue eyes locked onto his face."Why?"

"Because when you're touching me, I can't say no to you."

Ever so slightly, she tightened her grip."Then don't say no."

He couldn't speak.His brilliant blue eyes were focused intently on her lips.My God, how he adored her.At that moment, all he wanted was to taste her lips against his once more.With a Herculean effort, he resisted the temptation, and simply said, "Okay.You can tutor me."

With his agreement, Rory at last released his hand, trying to ignore the sudden sense of loss she felt.

"Well, good, then.I'm glad you've finally come to your senses."

Regaining his composure now that he was free of her grasp, Tristan smirked."I don't know, Mary, it seems to me you're the one who's finally coming around."

She scowled."What's that supposed to mean?"

Without her realizing it, Tristan had been advancing on her while they spoke, and Rory suddenly found herself backed against a wall.He leaned in and placed his hands on the wall, effectively caging her in.Bending low so that his breath would tickle her ear, he murmured, "You're certainly making a big effort to spend time with me."

Rory tried to sneer, but found her facial muscles were frozen in a dazed expression."No I'm not," she protested weakly.

He shifted even closer, and when he spoke again, his lips grazed the skin at her temple."Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

Hearing Shakespeare's words seemed to snap her out of her reverie, and she quickly ducked out from between his arms."In your dreams, DuGrey."The bell rang, indicating the start of the next period."Now come on, we're late for study hall."

Tristan hesitated a few moments before following her, and said to the empty classroom, "In my dreams, indeed."

***

The remainder of the day had passed quickly for both Tristan and Rory.During study hall, they had discreetly passed notes arranging their first tutoring session.Since Rory didn't have to work on _The Franklin that afternoon, she had agreed to let Tristan drive her back to Stars Hollow, where they would study at her house._

When the day was over, Tristan waited patiently at Rory's locker as she stuffed at least twice as many books as she would actually need into her backpack.Still, he couldn't resist needling her about it.

"Hey Mary?" he began.

Without removing her head from her locker, she replied, "If you keep calling me that, you're going to have more to worry about than a 'C' in English."

He just grinned at her sharp retort.He tried again, "Hey Rory?"

This time, she poked her head around the locker door and smiled at him."Yes?"

"Explain something to me.We have all but one class together.Now, look at my backpack."He gestured to the half-filled bag at his feet."And then look at your backpack."He waved a hand at the already-filled-to-overflowing bag into which Rory was trying to stuff even more books."How exactly does that make sense?"

Without thinking, she snapped, "Well, I'm not the one who needs a tutor, am I?"

Instantly, a look of hurt and self-loathing came onto Tristan's face.Rory clapped a hand over her mouth, appalled at what she had just said.

"Oh my God, Tristan, I'm so sorry.I didn't mean that."

"Sure you did, or you wouldn't have said it," he responded bitterly.

She reached out and touched his hand. "No, Tris, I didn't.I guess I'm just not quite back into friend mode with you yet.I got too used to defending myself, trading insults."

At her touch, he felt his resolve to stay angry simply melt away.He wondered, briefly, if she had any idea what kind of power she held over him.Gently, he pulled his hand away from hers."It's okay," he said softly."I believe you.It doesn't matter anyway, because you're right."

Uncertain how to respond to that comment, Rory zipped up her backpack and shut her locker."Can I ask you something?"

"Fire away," he said as he effortlessly hoisted her bag off the floor as if it was full of feathers instead of textbooks.

"I know you were in the top five of our class last year.What happened?"

_You happened, Rory.Instead of blurting that out, Tristan shrugged."I don't know.I guess I'm just not as motivated this year."_

"Tris, there's got to be a reason."

His voice was pleading."Rory, please just let it go."

"Fine.But if you ever want to talk about it…"

"I know—you'd listen."

They had reached Tristan's silver Corvette, and he held the passenger door open for her before placing their bags in the trunk and climbing in the car.They rode in silence for about five minutes, with Rory staring out the window as the familiar scenery passed by her.

"So, I, um, never said 'thank you' for offering to tutor me."

Rory turned from the window and faced him."It's no big deal, really."

"It is to me."

"Well, then, you're welcome.But maybe you should wait to thank me until _after your grades go up."_

He grinned at her for the first time in what seemed like ages to Rory."I'm sure you'll inspire me to great academic heights."

She smiled back at him, and his heart clenched at the radiant beauty of it."I certainly hope so."

"You know, my parents said they would be happy to pay you."

Her expression turned to shock."Tristan, that's not necessary.I offered to do this because I want to help."

He tore his eyes from the road momentarily to gaze at her somberly."I've never known anyone like you, Rory."

She returned his stare, equally solemn."You're pretty one-of-a-kind yourself."

He smirked at her."And is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It depends on what day it is."

"Fair enough.So what is it today?"

She paused for a moment, and appeared to be concentrating very hard on her decision."Well, today I'd have to say it's a…good thing."

He smiled brilliantly at her response, and Rory did a double take.She had never seen him smile like that, so genuine and carefree.She hadn't realized he was capable of something other than his trademarks smirks and grins.Unconsciously, she found herself returning the smile.

With that exchange of facial expressions, a small part of the barrier between them was eliminated.They lapsed into easy conversation about school and books and movies, and the remainder of the ride flew by.

When they were finally driving through Stars Hollow, Rory asked Tristan to stop at Luke's.As he pulled up in front of the diner, he noticed the sign, and gave Rory a puzzled look.

"What on earth do you need at the hardware store?Duct tape to shut me up with?"

"As good an idea as that is, no.This is a diner, not a hardware store."

"But the sign says…"

"I know what it says, Tristan. I live in this town, remember?I'll explain everything after I get our coffee.You wait here."

His face fell slightly, and he tried to mask the hurt with humor."What, don't want to be seen with me?"

She groaned."Of course not, silly.I just don't feel like spending twenty minutes explaining who you are when there's studying to be done!"

It was Tristan's turn to groan."Don't remind me.Fine, I'll wait here.Oh, and Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"I take my coffee black."

"Duly noted.I'll be back in five."

She quickly climbed out of the car, and Tristan began to flip idly through the radio stations.There was a tap on his window, and he looked up, thinking Rory had forgotten something.Instead, staring back at him and scowling fiercely was…

…Bag Boy.


	3. It Is a Far, Far Better Thing He Does

Pairing: R/T, of course

_Pairing: R/T, of course_

_Rating: PG-13 at the most_

_Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1_

_Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television.No copyright infringement is intended.The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them._

_ _

_Author's Note: Any literary analysis in this chapter should be taken with a grain of salt.Perhaps several grains of salt.Like Tristan, I never actually read all of A Tale of Two Cities__ (I had a tendency to skim what I perceived as the "boring sections").I have read The Great Gatsby__ ten or fifteen times though, so those comments are decidedly more insightful.We now return to our regularly scheduled Trory fic._

_ _

_**Unbreakable Heart**_

_**by Grace**_

_** **_

_**Part 3: It Is a Far, Far Better Thing He Does**_

Steeling himself, Tristan depressed the button to lower the window.Before he had a chance to speak, Dean shouted, "What the hell are you doing here, DuGrey?You can't get Rory to date you, so now you're going to stalk her?"

Struggling not to lose his temper, Tristan spoke slowly."Actually, Rory knows I'm here.She offered to tutor me.Our first study session is tonight."

Dean's face began to turn a highly unattractive shade of red."You expect me to believe that Rory just offered to tutor you out of the blue?"

Tristan shrugged, determined to maintain his calm demeanor."Believe whatever you want.Rory heard some of my grades were suffering, and she wanted to help.End of story."

"Listen, you preppie punk, nothing is ever 'end of story' with you.Why can't you just accept the fact that she's _my girlfriend, and leave her alone?"_

"Why can't you accept the fact that she's my friend?"

Dean snorted."Since when?"

"Since today."Engrossed in their "discussion," neither boy had noticed Rory's approach.Now, both of them turned to face her, quickly seeing the angry look on her face.

A nervous note creeping into his voice, Dean spoke first."Rory, I…"

Much to his and Tristan's astonishment, she cut him off."Save it, Dean.I am so tired of this.Why can't the two of you find a way to get along?"

"I think you know why," Dean replied quietly.

"Yes, well, maybe it's time you got over it.I don't want to have to worry about you fighting every time you see me with Tristan."

Nervousness was replaced by fury when Dean spoke again."And will I be seeing you with Tristan often?"

Rory stiffened at his words."You might.I'm tutoring him in English, Dean.We'll probably be studying together several times a week.Are you going to have a problem with that?"

"What do you think?" he sneered.

Rory groaned."We're going to be _studying, Dean, not going on a date, not making out, not even hanging out doing friend stuff.__Studying.That thing that involves books, papers, insane Chilton assignments?It'll most likely be insanely boring."_

"I'm still here, you know," Tristan interjected dryly. 

Without even turning to face him, Rory snapped, "You be quiet.I'm fighting with my boyfriend right now.I'll deal with you later."

Refusing to be deterred, he spoke again."Look, maybe it would be better for everyone involved if I just found myself a different tutor."

"I agree.Case closed," declared Dean.

This time, Rory did turn around, and Tristan was stunned to see a look of hurt in her eyes."You don't want me to tutor you?" she inquired softly.

Tristan thought his heart would break right then and there."Of course I want you to tutor me," he answered, matching her quiet tone."But I wouldn't feel right causing problems between the two of you."_When did I become so selfless? he wondered.__When you fell in love, his subconscious replied._

Dean watched in silence as Rory turned to face him once more.Although his countenance didn't betray his true feelings, he was furious with Tristan for putting him in this position.If he continued to insist that Rory stop tutoring the other boy, he would come off as selfish and unreasonable, while Tristan would be perceived as all noble and crap, willing to sacrifice his academic future in order to save Rory and Dean's relationship.The little manipulative bastard…

He suddenly realized that Rory was staring at him, waiting for him to say something.Hesitantly, he cleared his throat."Maybe I did jump to the wrong conclusion.Like you said, it's just studying.Besides, I trust you, Rory."He shot a pointed look in the direction of his rival, letting him know that his trust did not extend to Tristan.

Rory beamed at her boyfriend.She had been expecting him to insist that she not tutor Tristan.This was a delightfully unexpected surprise.

Suddenly, her smile faded.Why should she be surprised that Dean was "allowing" her to tutor Tristan?He said he trusted her, but if that were really true, he wouldn't have made such a fuss in the first place.Yes, he was her boyfriend, but that certainly didn't mean that he got to make decisions for her!

Her voice was cool."It's not as though I needed your permission, Dean, but I'm glad you've decided to be reasonable about this.Now, if you'll excuse me, Tristan and I have a lot of studying to do."

Before Dean had a chance to respond, she slid into the passenger seat of Tristan's car, still clutching two cups of Luke's coffee.Shock evident on his face, Dean was left standing outside the diner as the pair sped away.

Inside the car, the atmosphere was anything but relaxed.Rory angrily jammed the coffee into the cup holders, and then turned to glare at Tristan.

"Don't think for a moment that this has anything to do with you.Just because I agreed to tutor you, and Dean and I had a fight…" Her voice broke, and she had to swallow hard before continuing."…doesn't mean that…"She trailed off, overcome with emotion, and tears began to stream down her face.

Alarmed by her outburst, Tristan immediately pulled over to the side of the road and shut off the car.Unable to sit idly by and watch her cry, he reached over and took her hand, the pad of his thumb tracing circles around her knuckles.

"I meant what I said before, Rory.I don't want to cause any trouble for you.So don't feel bad if you change your mind, okay?"

She sighed heavily, the tears beginning to subside."It's not you, Tristan.It's Dean.I suppose it's partly my fault, too.I just don't understand why he has to be so irrational and jealous."

He was puzzled."But Rory, at the end he seemed okay with the whole situation."

Her shoulders sagged."I know.But all of a sudden I felt like, I don't know, he was some kind of parent giving me reluctant permission for something he really didn't approve of me doing."

"I see.What would you have done if he hadn't said he was okay with it?Would you have still agreed to help me?"

Her eyes widened."I don't…I don't know.I mean, I said I would…"

Gently, he released her hand."…but you don't want to risk losing Dean.After all, he is your boyfriend, and you…you love him, right?"

Rory could hear the apprehension in his voice, and she knew her answer was going to hurt him yet again."Yes," she whispered."I love him."

Abruptly, Tristan started the car and began to pull back onto the road."Well, that's all that matters, then."

***

The only words spoken on the remainder of the ride to Rory's house were her occasional directions to turn left or right.They remained quiet until they were settled in the living room, side-by-side on the floor, their books piled on the coffee table.

"So where do you want to start?" Tristan asked.

Relieved that he hadn't broached the topic of Dean again, Rory responded easily, "Well, what have you been having the most trouble with?"

He grimaced."_A Tale of Two Cities.I try to do the assigned reading, honestly I do, but it's just so __boring."_

Rory was shocked."Boring?How can you say that?It's a classic!"

He groaned."Exactly how many times have you read it, Rory?"

She flushed."Um, three or four."

"I figured as much.The first few times were probably for fun, right?"

Her flush deepened, and she nodded.

"I thought so.I guess your idea of fun is a little different than mine.To me, reading this book is work."

"Tristan, what's your favorite book?"

Despite the sudden change in topic, there was no hesitation to his reply."_The Great Gatsby."_

She grinned."That is so not surprising."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively.

"Well, think about it.Gatsby is a clever, confident, wealthy man, but his whole life revolves around winning back the heart of Daisy.The place he lives, the parties he gives, are all in hopes that she will become a part of his life again.It doesn't matter to him that she's married, or that she has a child.In his mind, the only important thing is that he wants her."

"But her husband doesn't deserve her!" Tristan burst out."He's a pompous, arrogant ass, and as if that weren't bad enough, he cheats on her!"

Rory shook her head."That's not the point.No matter how foolish they may seem, Daisy has made her decisions on how to live her life.It never occurs to Gatsby that she may have made those choices for a reason.He believes that his mere presence in her life will cause her to change her entire lifestyle."

Tristan was quiet for a moment.He had never looked at the story in quite that way.Unsurprisingly, he had always believed that Gatsby's actions and motivations were perfectly justified.Still, Rory had made a good point.With a start, he realized that his previous attitude towards Rory and Dean's relationship was very similar to Gatsby's outlook on Daisy and Tom's marriage.A strange feeling came over him, and he recognized it as a combination of guilt and shame.Clearing his throat, he asked, "So what makes _A Tale of Two Cities so great?"_

Her brows knit together as she contemplated how she wanted to answer his question."I don't want to give away any important plot points.For starters, of course, it's a fascinating look at the French Revolution.Instead of viewing it from an overall, historic perspective, it brings it to an individual level.And in the end, it shows that sometimes the greatest, most honorable love is the one which is willing to sacrifice itself for the object of its love."

During the course of her little speech, Tristan simply stared raptly at her.Her passion never failed to astound him.He didn't think anything had ever mattered as much to him as this book—and everything else in her life—obviously did to her.Well, anything besides Rory herself, that is.

Catching him staring at her, Rory felt herself flush slightly."What?" she asked, nerves creeping into her voice.

Tristan smiled the same beatific, heart-stopping smile he had sent her way in the car earlier that day."You continue to amaze me, Rory Gilmore.In the span of just a few minutes, you've made me actually _want to read the damn book."_

She grinned at him."Well, that is part of my job as your tutor, you know."

Without thinking, he flung his arm around her shoulders and leaned closer.His voice dropped to a seductive purr."You, Ms. Gilmore, are _very good at your job."_

Rory felt the heat rise once again in her cheeks, and forced herself not to otherwise react to his touch.Far from wanting to squirm away from him, she felt an undeniable urge to move closer, to allow the heat radiating from his body to further warm her already burning skin…

The shrill ring of the telephone caused Rory to leap to her feet, almost knocking Tristan over in the process.She was breathless when she answered the phone, despite having only walked about five feet.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi, Lane."

"Actually, can I call you back later?Tristan's here."

She lowered her voice."Yes, that Tristan."

"I'm tutoring him."

"In English."

"Yes, really."

"Dean already knows."

"Um…seriously, can I call you back?"

"Okay, bye."

Normally, Tristan would have found it confusing to hear only one side of a conversation.In this case, though, it was pretty clear what Rory's friend had been asking.

After hanging up the phone, Rory returned to her seat, and Tristan noticed she had placed an extra foot and a half of floor space between them.Making a conscious effort to act "less like Gatsby," he remained where he was and asked casually, "So what's the game plan?"

Her eyes darted up quickly to meet his, then just as quickly looked away."G-game plan?" she stuttered.

Ignoring the instinct to flirt and tease her mercilessly, he maintained his casual tone."Yeah, for my tutoring sessions."

"Oh.Right."She took a deep breath."How far behind are you with the reading?"

Tristan made a face."I just finished chapter four of the second book."

Rory paled slightly, and opened her copy to the table of contents."We're supposed to have finished all of book two by Friday, so you have twenty chapters to go.Think you can manage it?"

"That's what, five chapters a night?I'll do my best."

"Good.How about we meet every day after school this week to discuss the chapters from the previous night?At least that way, you'll be able to get any questions answered before trying to tackle the next five chapters."

He looked at her skeptically."Are you sure that's not too much trouble?"

She nodded."I'm positive.We won't need to meet this often for very long, just until you're mostly caught up."

"Well, I'm glad _you think that won't take very long," he mumbled._

"O ye of little faith.Before you know it, I'll have you eating, sleeping, and dreaming Dickens."

He waggled his eyebrows at her."You know, I can think of much more appealing things to dream about."

For once, Rory didn't blush.Instead, she reached out and grabbed a throw pillow off the couch, and proceeded to whack him soundly in the head with it.

"Hey!What was that for?"

"For being so…so…flirtatious!"

He shot her a wicked grin."If I didn't flirt, I wouldn't be me."

"And that would be a bad thing?" Rory deadpanned.

Tristan clasped his hands to his chest as if he had just been shot."You wound me, Mary, you wound me."

She waved the pillow at him menacingly."I'm going to start calling you 'Judas' pretty soon if you don't lose the 'Mary' bit."

His face grew somber."I'd never betray you, Rory, although…" His eyes began to twinkle."The 'with a kiss' part if pretty tempting."

"Arrrghh!"She whipped the pillow at him, and watched in surprise as he deftly caught it.

"You're in for it now, Gilmore," he growled.

He lunged at her, and began pummeling her mercilessly with the pillow.She squealed and jumped to her feet, trying to find some way to reach the other pillow, which was safely nestled at the opposite end of the sofa.As she attempted to run around Tristan, her stocking feet slipped on the hardwood floor, and she began to fall.

In horror, Tristan watched as Rory's feet flew out from underneath her and she pitched backwards.Her flailing right arm knocked over a lamp, which shattered as it hit the floor.He winced at the thud of her head hitting the floor, and rushed to her side.

Her eyes were shut, and remained closed as he knelt beside her and lifted her head into his lap.With one hand, he gave her shoulder a gentle shake, murmuring, "Rory, wake up," while his other hand felt the back of her head for the lump he knew would be forming.

Panic beginning to rise in his chest, he continued to repeat her name until her eyes fluttered open several seconds later.He thought he might burst into tears when her sapphire eyes locked their gaze on him.Instead, he cleared his throat and whispered, "Hey there.You took a pretty nasty spill.How do you feel?"

She grimaced."My head hurts.So does my leg."

Tristan glanced towards her legs, and only then did he notice the pool of blood forming beneath her right one.

"Dammit, you're bleeding!"

"Excellent deduction, Holmes," she said dryly.

Gently, he removed her head from his lap, and moved down her body to examine her leg."Hold still," he commanded.

"Yes doctor."

When he carefully lifted her leg up, he chided himself for feeling the usual tingling shocks at a time like this.He quickly realized that she had landed on a piece of the broken lamp.The cut wasn't large, but it looked pretty deep."I think you're going to need stitches," Tristan announced.

Rory groaned."Wonderful.My mother is going to freak."

"Whether she freaks or not, the important thing right now is to get you to the hospital.Do you guys have a first aid kit?"

"Yeah, it's in the kitchen, under the sink."She waved her hand in the general direction of the kitchen, and Tristan dashed off to retrieve the kit.

He returned quickly, cleaning the wound before applying a gauze pad and tape."There, now keep pressure on it to help stop the bleeding."

Rory did as she was instructed, both surprised and impressed by his adept handling of the situation.Tristan slipped his Chilton blazer back on, stuffed his copy of _A Tale of Two Cities into the pocket, and then scooped Rory up into his arms._

"Hey, I can walk!" she protested.

"No arguments," he said firmly."There's a chance you have a concussion.I'm not going to risk having you black out and fall down the steps or something."

Unable to fault his logic, Rory lapsed into silence.She couldn't help but notice that he carried her as if she weighed next to nothing; couldn't help but feel the firm, well-defined muscles as he cradled her in his embrace.Practically against her will, she felt herself relax, drawing comfort from the warm cocoon of safety he held her in.

Feeling her snuggle closer, Tristan smiled.Bending his head close to hers, he said quietly, "You know, Rory, if you wanted to get close to me so badly, you didn't have to hurt yourself.You could have just asked."

In spite of herself, Rory laughed."Well, I guess I have to give you credit for being consistent."

As they laughed together, neither Tristan nor Rory noticed the tall, dark-haired figure hidden beside the Gilmore porch, his face contorted in fury…


	4. The Bobbsey Twins in the Hospital of Hor...

Pairing: R/T, of course

_Pairing: R/T, of course_

_Rating: PG-13 at the most_

_Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1_

_Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television.No copyright infringement is intended.The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them._

_ _

_Author's Note: It really bothers me when TV shows completely disregard the fact that most hospitals do not allow you to use cellular phones inside, as it can disrupt the monitors.Just thought I'd mention that.Oh, and thanks to all the FanForum Trory thread posters for their encouragement and patience!_

_ _

_**Unbreakable Heart**_

_**by Grace**_

_** **_

_**Part 4: The Bobbsey Twins in the Hospital of Horrors**_

The bleeding had slowed considerably by the time Tristan and Rory finally reached Hartford Hospital.Nonetheless, he still refused to allow Rory to walk in on her own.Once inside the emergency room, Tristan managed to secure a wheelchair, since she was still protesting his carrying her, and they set about getting her checked in.

Fortunately, it was a pretty slow night in the ER, and Rory only had to wait twenty minutes before seeing a doctor.While she was getting stitched up, Tristan went outside and used his cell phone to call Lorelai.He figured she would have a heart attack if she got home from work and discovered her daughter missing and bloodstains on the floor.

By the time he finished talking to Lorelai and returned to Rory's side, the doctor was done putting in her stitches.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Rory shrugged."Okay, I guess.It's nice to not to be bleeding anymore.The doctor says I have a mild concussion, and he wants me to stay a few hours for observation.What did my mom say?"

"She's on her way.I kept telling her that you're going to be fine, but I don't think she believed me.She'll probably break the land speed record getting here.So does she always talk so fast?"

Laughing, Rory replied, "Always.Well, except when she's drinking her coffee, and that only takes a few seconds."

"You two really seem to get along."

"She's my best friend.I know a lot of people think I have it rough because my dad's not around, and we don't have a lot of money, but I wouldn't trade my mom for anything."Realizing the intensely personal turn the conversation had just taken Rory began to feel uncomfortable."You know, Tris, my mom will be here soon.You really don't have to stick around if you don't feel like it."

He shot her a wounded-puppy-dog look."Trying to get rid of me?"

Maybe it was the head injury, but for some reason she didn't catch the sarcasm."No!I just though, you know, that you would have something better to do than sitting here, watching me be concussed."

He raised his eyebrows."Is that even a word?"

"Yes!" she cried defensively."At least, I think it is.Things are kind of fuzzy right now."

He looked concerned."Do you want me to get the doctor?"

"No, I'll be fine."

Somewhat mollified, Tristan took a seat in one of the standard-issue uncomfortable hospital chairs, and pulled out _A Tale of Two Cities._

"What are you doing?"

"Wow, you really did hit your head.I would think you of all people would recognize reading."

She huffed in exasperation."I know you're reading.But why here?Why now?Why that?"

"You're the one who thinks I shouldn't just sit here and watch you be concussed.You're also the one who told me to read five chapters tonight."

"I don't know whether to be proud that you're making an effort or insulted that you'd rather read a book you hate than entertain me.Besides, when I said I thought you had something better to do, I meant like a date, not homework."

He looked at her questioningly."It's Monday night, Rory.That's not exactly prime dating time."

"I know, but you're…" She trailed off, realizing he would be insulted by her words.

"I'm what?A player?You can say it, Rory.But let me ask you, when was the last time you actually saw me with a girl?"

She opened her mouth to fire off a retort, and then stopped.She had been so busy noticing that he was avoiding her; it hadn't even dawned on her that his hallway make-out sessions had also ceased."I can't remember," she said softly."I'm sorry, Tristan.I shouldn't have said anything."

"Don't worry about it.Now, how about a compromise?I'll read to you—then you can be entertained and I'll learn something."

She smiled shyly, happy that the awkward moment had passed."I'd like that." She settled back against the stiff, itchy hospital pillows, and Tristan began to read.

That was how Lorelai found them a little while later.Tristan's blonde hair gleamed under the unflattering fluorescent lights, and Rory's face wore a content, sleepy smile.She waited until Tristan paused to turn a page before speaking.

"Hey babe.How are you doing?"

Slightly startled, Rory and Tristan looked up at Lorelai."Oh, hi, mom.I'm okay.I needed eight stitches, and I can go home in a couple hours."

"Good.I was afraid I was going to have to spend the night in one of those nasty chairs."She shifted her attention to Tristan."Now, do I have you to blame for landing my daughter in the hospital, or to thank for taking care of her?"

"It wasn't his fault," Rory interjected."I slipped on the floor."

"See, now this is why housekeeping is overrated.It's all dusting and waxing until someone gets hurt."

The three of them laughed, and Lorelai extended her hand to Tristan."You must be the infamous Evil One.I'll bet you never thought being tutored could be so strenuous."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Gilmore," he said, taking the offered hand.He cocked a questioning eye at Rory."The Evil One?"

Rory shrugged and struggled not to blush."Hey, you didn't exactly make an effort to endear yourself to me at first."

"And yet you still offered to tutor me," he remarked with semi-feigned amazement.

Before Rory had a chance to respond, there was a sound of a throat being cleared.Three heads turned towards the door.Standing there, clutching a bouquet of flowers, was Dean.

"Dean!What are you doing here?" asked Rory.

He fought down his irritation that she seemed more stunned than happy to see him."I heard you were hurt, and I wanted to see for myself that you were okay."

"Where did you hear about Rory?" inquired Lorelai, her voice tinged with something more than simple curiosity.

Dean looked uncomfortable."I don't know.I just heard it around.You know how Stars Hollow is."

"Mm-hmm."Lorelai still looked skeptical, but didn't question him further.

Tentatively, Dean approached the bed and held out the bouquet."Anyway, I, uh, got these for you."

Rory beamed."They're beautiful.It was so sweet of you to come all the way out here."

It was all Tristan could do to keep from gagging.Was this all it took to win Rory's heart?A bunch of scraggly carnations from that…that _dolt?Apparently, sweet-and-harmless-as-a-Disney-movie was more appealing to her than crackling chemistry and witty banter.Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the precious couple's conversation._

"It's the least I could do.You're my girlfriend, and you're hurt.I couldn't just sit around in Stars Hollow.Besides, I wanted to…" Mid-sentence, he seemed to remember that he and Rory weren't alone in the room.Turning to face Lorelai, he asked, "Would it be okay if I talked to Rory for a few minutes?_Alone?" he added, sending a pointed glare in Tristan's direction._

Much to her daughter's amazement, Lorelai leapt from her chair, exclaimed "Sure!" while grabbing Tristan by the hand, and exited the room without so much as a single teasing remark.

"Well, that was weird," commented Rory.

"What, your mom?I thought she was always weird."

"Yeah, she is, but in a predictably unpredictable way.This was different."

His brow furrowed as he tried to muddle out exactly what she had just said."Uh, whatever.Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted this afternoon with Tristan.I don't want us to fight about someone as meaningless as he obviously is."

"I don't know if I'd say 'meaningless,' exactly," Rory murmured."But I don't want us to fight, either."

Dean sighed in relief."Good.So how'd you get hurt, anyway?"

She laughed, and launched into the tale of her pillow fight with Tristan.Caught up in the story, Rory didn't notice the anger in his eyes as he realized that her time spent with Tristan hadn't consisted solely of studying.

***

Out in the hallway, Lorelai dragged Tristan ten feet down the hall before releasing him.

Utterly confused, Tristan asked, "Ms. Gilmore, what's going on?"

"First off, call me Lorelai.Second, there's something wrong with Dean."

"You mean aside from the deformed mushroom haircut?" he sniped dryly.

"Hey, that's my daughter's boyfriend you're insulting."

"Contradict yourself much?"

"Ugghhh!You really are the Evil One!"

"So I've heard.Seriously, what's the problem with Dean?"

Lorelai sighed, suddenly uncertain whether she should be involving Tristan.But she had to talk to _someone…"It just doesn't make sense that he's here."_

"How so?As you pointed out, he's her boyfriend."

"I know, but the only person I told about Rory being hurt was Luke.There's no way he would have spread it around town."

Tristan looked puzzled."Then how did he know to come here?"

Lorelai's face was grim."That's what I intend to find out."

"Any suggestions on how we should go about doing that?"

"Ooh, ooh!We can be two of the Bobbsey Twins!I'll be Nan and you can be Freddie!"

"Um, okay.Now that we have names, what do we _do?"_

"Hmph.Fine, make me do all the work.I guess we could start by calling Luke, huh?"

"That sounds like a good start.Do you need to use my phone?"

"No, I have one.You go back and chaperone the happy couple while I go outside and make some calls."

Tristan snapped off a mock salute."Sure thing, Nan."

Lorelai grinned."At ease, Freddie."

***

Quietly, Tristan approached Rory's hospital room.Peering around the doorframe, he saw that Dean had set up camp in the chair previously occupied by Lorelai, and was gazing adoringly at Rory.Even from across the room, Tristan could see the fatigue on her face, and he noticed her glance wearily at the clock.

_What is wrong with this guy?Can't he see that she needs her rest?Suddenly, Rory met his gaze, and he could have sworn he saw her face brighten._

Stepping fully into the doorway, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

She smiled weakly."Tired.Have you seen the doctor recently?I'd really like to go home soon."

"I can go look for him.Do you need anything else?"

"No, but do you know where my mom is?"

"She's just making a few phone calls.I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Her smile widened, and Tristan felt blessed to be on the receiving end of it.

Stepping back into the hallway, he was almost knocked over by a flushed and panting Lorelai.In an almost exact replay of the earlier scene, she grabbed his hand and began dragging him down the hall once again.When she decided they had gone far enough, she stopped abruptly, and Tristan slammed into her back.Once they managed to disentangle themselves, he cocked his head expectantly.

"So what did you learn, Bobbsey Lady?"

"Well, Dean definitely didn't hear about Rory from Luke.In his infinite wisdom, though, Luke suggested that I call Miss Patty, the town gossip queen."

"And what did she have to say?"

"Apparently, she had just gotten off the phone with Babette, who lives next door to us.Babette wanted to know why Rory had been carried out of the house by, and I quote, 'a handsome, blonde young man.'" Lorelai smirked—evidently Tristan wasn't the only one to master that particular facial expression."Presumably she meant you."

Tristan reddened slightly, and attempted to steer the conversation back towards matters of importance."How exactly does that help us answer the Dean question?"

Lorelai smirked even more."Patience, dear Freddie.Babette also mentioned to Miss Patty that, while Rory was being swept off her feet, a certain lanky, dark-haired stock boy was, and I quote again, 'lurking beside the Gilmore house.'"

She could practically see the light bulb go on above his head."He followed us here," Tristan breathed."Then he must have waited around until you got here, so that his story would be more plausible."

"Ding ding ding!You, my darling Evil One, may now advance to the bonus round!"

"Just out of curiosity, has Dean displayed any other stalker-like behavior?"

Lorelai's face clouded. "Not that I know of, no."

"What do we do now?Do we tell Rory?"

Her face darkened further."I didn't think that far ahead.What if we're making too much of this?There could be a perfectly good reason why Dean was outside our house."

He frowned."If he had a good reason, why didn't he say anything to us?Why did he lie about knowing to come here?"

"Good point.Still, I don't want to upset Rory until we know for sure."

"I think she has a right to know what we're doing, Lorelai.She wouldn't like us investigating him behind her back."

Lorelai looked at him intently."You know my daughter pretty well, don't you?"

He looked up defiantly."I know her better than she thinks."

She reached out and touched his shoulder, then said softly, "And I have a feeling she doesn't really know you at all."

Grateful that someone finally understood, he smiled at her."I'm hoping that changes soon."

"Oh, I think it might.Now come on, we…"

She was interrupted by the doctor approaching them."Ms. Gilmore?If you'll just come with me and sign some papers, you'll be free to take Rory home."

"Oh, thank you, doctor.Tristan, would you go give Rory the good news?"

"Sure thing."

Returning to her hospital room, he was greeted with the sight of Dean animatedly telling a story, while Rory was clearly struggling to keep her eyes open._This guy is definitely an idiot, he thought._

When Tristan cleared his throat, she looked up at him, and this time he was positive she looked relieved.

"Tristan, hi.Did you find the doctor?"

"Yeah, actually, I did.He's with your mom right now, having her sign your release papers."

She perked up considerably."I get to go home?Now?Really?"

He chuckled, and perched on the edge of Rory's bed, trying his best to ignore Dean."Yes.Now.Really.Would I lie to you?"

Dean snorted."Saint Tristan?Oh no, you'd never lie."

Rory glared at her boyfriend in frustration."Why can't you be civil to him?"

Groaning, Dean replied, "I don't want to get into this again.Just forget I said anything, okay?"

Lorelai entered the room, towing an orderly with a wheelchair, before Rory could reply."You're free, sweetie!Free at last!"

"It's only been a couple hours, mom."

"I know that, but do you have any idea how awful the coffee in this place is?"

"The truth comes out!This has nothing to do with wanting to take your beloved daughter home."

Lorelai attempted to look contrite and failed miserably. "Okay, you caught me.To make it up to you, I'll let you have all of the Chunky Monkey when we get home."

"Since you put it that way, I suppose I'll forgive you."

Turning her attention to Dean, Lorelai said, "Thank you for coming all the way out here.I know Rory appreciated it, but now she needs to get some rest.Why don't you stop by tomorrow after school?"

He looked disappointed, but merely nodded."Okay.I'll just walk you guys out to the car."

Lorelai smiled and turned to Tristan."It was nice to finally meet you, Oh-Not-So-Evil One.I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon.Thank you for taking care of Rory."

"It was my pleasure, really.Would it be all right if I came back to the house for a few minutes?I need to pick up my schoolbooks and things."

"How convenient," sneered Dean.

Ignoring the comment, Lorelai immediately agreed to Tristan's request."Of course.I wouldn't want El Duque caning you for not having your books."

He grinned."I appreciate that."

When the trio turned their attention back to Rory, they discovered she was fast asleep.

"Aw, poor kid.This whole ordeal really wore her out."Leaning over the bed, Lorelai gently shook her daughter's shoulder."Sweetie, wake up.It's time to take you home."

Slowly, Rory opened her eyes."Sorry," she said, yawning."I guess I kind of drifting off for a minute."

"That's okay.Can you get into the wheelchair?"

"Yeah, I can manage, mom."

When Rory was comfortably ensconced in the wheelchair, they formed an impromptu procession and headed for the exit.Once outside, Lorelai went to pull the car around, and an awkward silence fell over the three teens. Mercifully, Lorelai was parked nearby, and a few minutes later Rory gave Dean a kiss on the cheek, told Tristan she'd see him back at the house, and settled herself into the Jeep.

Once they were alone, Dean turned to Tristan, pointing an accusing finger at the other boy."You better watch yourself, DuGrey…"

"Oh spare me.Cut the crap.Why should I watch myself when you're doing it for me?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lorelai knows, Dean.She knows you were outside the house this afternoon, spying on me and Rory."

Dean began to look panicked."How?"

"Babette saw you, and told Miss Patty, who told Lorelai."

The other boy's face twisted into a sneer."I suppose you're going to run right out and tell Rory, try to turn her against me."

"No, actually, I'm not.Lorelai might, though, so I suggest you confess to Rory before that happens."

"Like I'm going to take advice from you," Dean scoffed.

Tristan shrugged."Do whatever you want, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yeah, whatever," he said, but Tristan noticed signs of worry on his face.

Tristan stood and watched Dean stalk off in the direction of his truck.Running a hand wearily through his tousled hair, he sighed and headed towards his 'Vette.

***

During the drive back to Stars Hollow, Rory had fallen asleep once more.As they pulled up to the house, Lorelai was reluctant to awaken her.Before she had found the willpower to tap her daughter on the shoulder, she noticed headlights pulling up behind her.Sliding out of the Jeep, Lorelai walked back to Tristan's car.

"Wow, you made good time.I didn't think you left the hospital right away."

He grimaced."I didn't, but I guess I had motivation to make up the time."

"Dean?"

"Yeah.I confronted him about the 'stalking.'I even advised him to tell Rory the truth."

"That was awfully big of you."

"Not really.He didn't believe me anyway."

"But you tried, and that's what will be important to Rory."

He looked stricken."You're not going to _tell her, are you?"_

"Sure, why not?I'd think you'd do anything to win points with her."

"That's not why I'm doing this."

Lorelai smiled gently."I know, Tristan, and that's why she'll appreciate it even more.Now come on, help me get her into the house."

"Sure."The pair approached the Jeep, and when Lorelai opened the door, Tristan scooped her into his arms.For a brief moment, he allowed himself to revel in the feel of her.

She stirred sleepily, then nestled her head deeper into the curve of his chest, exhaling a small, contented puff of air.He felt his heart flutter within his chest, and when he glanced up, saw a small smile tugging at the corners of Lorelai''s mouth.Tristan felt heat rising in his cheeks, and he unconsciously held Rory tighter as he attempted to overcome his embarrassment.

By the time they were inside the house, he had managed to regain his composure._You can do this, he told himself.__You're calm; you're cool; you're collected.Well, he __was calm, cool, collected…until Rory's eyelids fluttered, and she smiled up at him, her gorgeous blue eyes hazy with sleep.Tristan became so flustered that he almost dropped her onto her bed._

He somehow managed to set her down unharmed, and quickly retreated from the room before she could wake up enough to speak.

Lorelai was sitting on the couch in the living room, obviously waiting for him.She patted the cushion next to her, and he tentatively crossed the room and sat down.

"Don't look so scared, I don't bite.At least, I don't if there's no full moon.There isn't a full moon tonight, is there?"

Feeling more at ease, he smiled."No, I don't think there is."

She wiped imaginary sweat from her brow."Phew!That's a relief.First of all, I want to thank you again for taking such good care of her tonight.So many people would have panicked—including me—but you really handled yourself well."

"It was no big deal," he demurred.

"It was to me.Since you took care of her, it's my turn to take care of you.It's late, and I don't want to worry about you driving all the way back to Hartford.You're staying here tonight."Her tone implied that it was neither a request nor a suggestion—it was a command.

"Really, I don't want to impose…"

"Impose?Hah!Imposing is showing up announced only to complain that I don't have a seven-course meal prepared.Driving my daughter around the greater Hartford area in an attempt to prevent her from bleeding to death is _not imposing."_

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"I do.Now, I'll go get you some pillows and blankets.Do you need to call your parents and let them know you'll be staying?"

He shook his head grimly."No.That house is so damn big it'll take them hours to even notice I'm gone."

Immediately sympathizing with what his home life must be like, Lorelai pulled him into an impulsive hug.Startled by the affectionate gesture, it took Tristan a moment to relax and return the embrace.He couldn't remember the last time one of his own parents had hugged him.It felt…nice.

Eventually, Lorelai released him."I know you and Rory aren't exactly best friends, but I honestly don't think she would talk about you so much if she didn't at least care a little.I want you to think of this as your second home.You'll always be welcomed here, if not by Rory then by me, any time of the day or night.I know what it's like to grow up in a cold, huge house that's more museum than home, to have parents that are never satisfied, no matter what you say or do.That's how I ended up with Rory."

"Ms…Lorelai, I know you probably didn't expect your life to take the path it did, but I have to tell you that having Rory in my life means so much to me.So I guess I'm saying thank you for disappointing your parents."

Lorelai felt tears welling up, and soon she found herself laughing and crying simultaneously."Tristan, I think that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."Then she hugged him again, and suddenly he found himself on the verge of tears.

Clearing his throat to disguise the unwanted emotion, he asked gruffly, "Would it be all right if I used your shower?"

"Sure.The towels are in the closet next to the bathroom, which is right down the hall.Oh, do you need me to scrounge up some sweats for you to sleep in?"

"No, I always keep a bag in my car.I, uh, usually jump at the chance to get out of the house."

She raised her eyebrows."You know first aid _and you're prepared?Are you secretly a Boy Scout masquerading as the Evil One?"_

He chuckled wryly."Not quite.It was just easier to learn how to fend for myself than to 'inconvenience' my parents."

"Ah, yes, I learned that lesson well."

With that, they parted ways.As Lorelai pulled pillowcases onto pillows, she reflected that there was much more to Tristan DuGrey than met the eye.

***

Lorelai had disappeared, presumably into her bedroom, by the time Tristan returned from his car.After the somewhat emotional exchange they had shared, he had taken a few moments to compose himself.

Shutting himself in the bathroom—but leaving a crack in the door to let the steam out—he turned the shower on full blast.While he waited for the water to heat up, he stripped off his clothes, his muscles protesting his every movement.The stress of the day—his worry over Rory's injury, the confrontations with Dean—had left his back and shoulders in knots.He groaned in relief as he stepped into the tub and allowed the water and steam to envelop him.

Bowing his head, he allowed the needle-like spray to pound into his neck.His eyes drifted shut, and all he could think was, _what a day.Who ever would have guessed he would bond with Rory Gilmore's mother?_

Wearily, he reached for the soap, and began working it into a rich lather.Absentmindedly, he went through his entire shower routine, then stepped out and toweled off.As he wrapped the towel around his waist, he was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door begin to open…

Rory had woken up with a pounding headache and a severe case of disorientation.Once she figured out that she was in her bedroom, she set off in the direction of the bathroom, desperately seeking Advil.In her groggy, addled state, with her eyelids at half-mast, she failed to notice that the light was on…

Her eyes snapped wide open when she pushed in the door and caught sight of Tristan…clad only in a towel.Rivulets of water traced paths down his muscular back, and she gasped at the sight.

At her sharp intake of breath, he spun to face her, and she was treated to even more of an eyeful.The Chilton blazer had never given any indication of a set of washboard abs and clearly defined biceps.Unconsciously, she allowed her eyes to roam up and down his body, drinking in the sight of him.At long last, her eyes met his, and she was shocked back to reality by his bemused expression.

"Do you like what you see?" he murmured huskily.

"I…" Before she could complete her sentence, her eyes glazed over, and she crumpled to the floor…


	5. Control Groups and Hypotheses

Pairing: R/T, of course 

Pairing: R/T, of course

Rating: PG-13 at the most

Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1

Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television.  No copyright infringement is intended.  The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them.  

**Unbreakable Heart**

**by Grace**

**Part 5: Control Groups and Hypotheses**

                As if in slow motion, Tristan watched as Rory crumpled to the floor.  Fortunately, the bathroom was small, and he was able to catch her before she cracked her head on the tile floor and gave herself a second concussion for the day.

                Within a matter of seconds, Tristan found himself in a remarkably awkward predicament.  For the second time in less than twelve hours, Rory Gilmore was unconscious with her head in his lap.  Only this time, he was wearing nothing more than a towel, and her mother was only a few rooms away.  As he shifted positions slightly, he realized he had yet another problem—the towel was beginning to slip.

                He began to pray fervently that he would somehow manage to extract himself from this situation before either Rory woke up or her mother came downstairs to bear witness to what could easily be perceived as his less-than-honorable intentions towards her daughter.

                He realized very quickly that at least one of those prayers was not going to be answered.  Rory began to move her head slightly in his lap, and he had to bite his lip to keep from groaning.  _Okay, think  puppies, think kittens, think about your parents…just don't think about how you wish Rory was seeing you in a towel for a different reason._

                Swallowing hard, he looked down to meet Rory's groggy blue eyes.  Plastering a requisite smirk on his face, he said softly, "You know, Mary, you're the first girl to faint at the sight of me without my shirt on."

                Tristan watched in amusement as her eyes became cloudy with confusion.  "What are you talking about?"

                At her obvious distress, he was no longer able to mask his concern.  "Rory, do you remember what happened?"

                She struggled to sit up, but collapsed back against him in exhaustion.  "Refresh my memory, please."

                "I had just gotten out of the shower, you came in, and then you passed out."

                "Tell me one more time why you were in our shower."

                He smiled gently.  "Don't worry, you never actually knew about that part in the first place.  Your mom insisted that I spend the night."

                "Oh.  Okay."

                "Rory, how are you feeling?  Are you dizzy?  Disoriented?  Do you need me to take you back to the hospital?"

                She shook her head, and then winced.  "No, I'll be okay.  I think I just tried to do too much too fast."

                "How about I take you back to your room?"

                She smiled for the first time since opening her eyes.  "Exactly how are you planning on doing that?"

                Puzzled, he asked, "What do you mean?"

                She shot an appraising glance at his chest.  "You're not exactly dressed for the job, remember?  Actually, you're not exactly dressed at all…"  Her voice trailed off, as she had just comprehended where she was, whom she was with, and what he _wasn't_ wearing.  Abruptly, she tried to sit up once more, and nearly fell over in the process.  Instinctively, he encircled her with his bare arms to protect her, and as he reflexively pulled her tight against his chest, the towel slipped a little further.  Rory glanced down, and found her gaze riveted to the joint where his leg met his hip.

                Following the path of her eyes, Tristan was astonished when he felt himself start to blush.

                "Rory," he croaked, his voice unexpectedly hoarse.  Clearing his throat, he tried again.  "Rory, I want you to grab onto the edge of the sink and close your eyes."

                "Why?"

                He sighed.  "Because the only way you're leaving this room is in my arms, and even I'm not crazy enough to attempt that naked.  So while you hang onto the sink, I'll get dressed, and we'll go from there."

                "Oh," she said softly.  "Okay."

                Carefully, Rory grabbed hold of the sink, and squeezed her eyes shut.  _How did this happen?_ she wondered.

                Swiftly, Tristan allowed the towel to drop and pulled on shorts and a t-shirt.  "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

                Leaning over, he scooped her into his arms yet again.  "You know," he commented, "this is becoming quite a habit with us."

                She squirmed uncomfortably in his embrace, which only prompted him to hold her tighter.  "Yeah, well, don't get used to it, Tristan."

                "And here I thought you were beginning to enjoy the role of damsel in distress."

                She snorted indelicately.  "Whatever.  Gilmore girls are _not_ damsels in distress."

                "I'm noticing that."

                They had reached her room, and Tristan carefully set her down on the bed.  He murmured, "Goodnight, Rory," and turned to leave.

                When he was about to walk through the door, he heard her soft voice call out to him.  "Tris?"

                Turning to face her, he replied, "Yeah?"

                She cast her eyes downward.  "I know you have to be up early for school tomorrow, but I was wondering if maybe you could read a little more of _A Tale of Two Cities_ to me?  It was really relaxing at the hospital earlier."

                If he was surprised by her request, he didn't show it.  He simply nodded and slipped from the room to retrieve his copy of the book.  Upon returning to her room, he realized there really wasn't anyplace to sit, so he settled himself on the floor beside her bed.  As he flipped through the book to find the right page, he heard Rory moving around on the bed.

                "Tristan?"

                "Hmm?"

                "You don't have to sit on the floor, if you don't want to."

                Glancing back at her, he saw that she had scooted over to the far edge of the bed, leaving room for him to sit next to her.

                "Are you sure?"

                She nodded, so he stood up and cautiously placed himself near the head of the bed.  Leaning back, he propped the book on his knees and began to read.

                Rory snuggled deeper under the covers, and allowed Tristan's quiet, soothing voice to lull her towards sleep.

                By the time he finished the chapter, Rory's breathing was deep and steady.  It was obvious that she was sound asleep, and he gave in to the desire to pull the sheet up closer to her chin and brush the hair away from her eyes.  Sighing, he knew that he should return to the living room and get some sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Rory quite yet.  He turned back to his book and continued reading.

                When Lorelai came downstairs for a drink of water several hours later, she noticed that Rory's light was on.  Poking her head in the door, she saw her daughter sleeping peacefully.  Next to her, his head lolling back against the headboard, fast asleep, was Tristan, the copy of _A Tale of Two Cities_ lying open in his lap.  She smiled, her heart warmed to see the troubled boy at rest.  Their earlier conversation had enlightened her to the reasons behind his previous treatment of Rory, and also served to explain why he was now so desperate for her friendship.

                Leaning into the room a little farther, she flipped off the light and went back to bed.

*              *              *

                When Tristan awoke the next morning, the crick in his neck was almost unbearable.  Easing himself forward, he looked at the clock.  5:30.  He didn't usually get up so early, but there was no way he'd be able to get back to sleep.  Moving slowly and silently so as not to awaken Rory, he extricated himself from the bed and left the room.

                Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he stumbled towards the kitchen.  Given their obvious addiction, he figured that the Gilmore women wouldn't mind if he made some coffee.

                Fifteen minutes later, as he sat at the table sipping the steaming brew, he realized that after only one night, this felt more like home than his parents' imposing mansion ever had.  He felt at peace here, even happy.

                Looking decidedly disheveled and groggy, Lorelai yawned her way into the room.  "Morning, Freddie," she mumbled.

                "Morning, Nan," he responded with a grin.

                "Ooh, I like you.  You make coffee."  As she poured a cup and took her first sip, she moaned softly with pleasure.  "And you make _good_ coffee."

                "I aim to please."

                "I'm sure you do.  So what exactly were you doing sleeping in Rory's bed?"

                Tristan blushed.  "She asked me to read to her.  I guess I lost track of time and fell asleep."  _And of course, there was the whole bathroom incident, but I don't think I need to mention that._  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean for it to happen."

                "I know you didn't, sweetie."  She watched his eyes widen at the term of endearment, and reminded herself once more how starved for love he must be.  "Are you going to be okay to drive to school?  I really don't want to make a return trip to the hospital."

                "I'll be fine, don't worry."

                "I'm a mother, I'm programmed to worry.  Now, you're coming back here this afternoon, right?"

                "I wasn't planning on it, no.  I figured Rory would want to rest, and I know Dean's coming over."

                Lorelai drained the rest of her coffee before answering him.  "If I know my daughter, she's not going to want to fall behind on her work.  I'm sure she'd appreciate it if you brought her today's assignments.  You wouldn't mind, would you?  I know it's kind of a long drive for you."

                "Of course I don't mind.  I don't think Dean'll be too happy, though."

                "Leave Dean to me.  Now, go get ready, or you'll be late for school."

                While Tristan was getting changed into his Chilton uniform, Rory appeared in the kitchen doorway.

                "Hey sweetie.  What are you doing out of bed so early?  You need rest."

                "Smelled coffee," she mumbled in reply, already gravitating towards the pot on the counter.

                "Ah, yes, the nectar of the gods, brought to you this morning by the number six and the name Tristan."

                Rory stopped mid-pour and turned to face her mother.  "Tristan made the coffee?  Is it poisonous?"

                "You tell me—you let the potential poisoner sleep in your bed last night, after all."

                She almost dropped her coffee.  "I _what_?"

                "Oh, calm down, concussion girl.  He stayed up reading too long, and fell asleep sitting up.  I guess it wasn't particularly comfortable.  I'm surprised he didn't ask to take another shower, so he could work some of the kinks out."

                At her mother's words, Rory sprayed the sip of coffee she had just taken halfway across the floor.

                "Whoa, what's wrong?  You know wasting coffee is a sin!"

                "Sorry, the coffee was, uh, hot."

                Lorelai looked at her skeptically.  "That's never stopped us before.  Now spill—what's really going on?

                "Nothing!  Really.  I swear.  Really."

                "You said 'really' twice.  You must be lying."

                "Okay, Miss Marple."

                "That's Nan Bobbsey to you, young lady."

                "Huh?  Well, maybe the concussion is making me particularly sensitive to hot beverages."

                "I may not be a Harvard grad, but I know a load of crap when I hear one.  You know I'm going to find out, so you may as well tell me now."

                "Tell you what?" Tristan asked, strolling into the kitchen as he knotted his tie.  "And what the heck happened in here?"

                "Nothing.  She's delusional."

                "This from the girl with the head injury?  Rory doesn't want to tell me why the mention of you taking a shower caused her to spit coffee all over the room."

                Although he knew exactly what the reason was, he kept his face a mask of indifference.  "Probably just her overactive imagination picturing me naked."

                "Now Freddie, just because you made us coffee doesn't mean you can pick on my daughter this early in the morning."

                "So would ten minutes from now be okay?"

                "Soitenly," chirped Lorelai in a Three Stooges voice.

                "Mom!"

                "Shouldn't you be resting?" inquired Tristan.

                "Arghh!" yelled Rory, stomping off towards her bedroom.

                Lorelai held up her hand, and as Tristan walked by on his way to the toaster, he high-fived her.

                "You realize," she began, "that I really shouldn't condone your tormenting my daughter, but you're just so good at it."

                "I know; it's a gift."  He pulled open one of the cabinets.  "Do you have any other flavors of Pop-Tarts?"

                "Ah, my boy, you've asked the right question!  You've entered the Pop-Tart zone.  Come with me."  She crooked her finger and led him to the pantry.  Throwing open the door with a flourish, she presented Tristan with several shelves full of coffee and Pop-Tarts.

                "Wow.  I've never even heard of some of these flavors."  Plucking a box of strawberry ones from the bottom shelf, he retreated to the kitchen.

                Lorelai followed him silently, a rare condition for her.  Of course, it didn't last long.  "Tristan?"

                "Yeah?"

                "Have you ever met someone that you just knew was going to be a part of your life for a very long time?"

                He smiled at her.  "Oh, I think that's happened once or twice."

                She smiled back, understanding him perfectly, as two kindred spirits recognized one another.

*              *              *

                Several hours later, Rory emerged from her bedroom once more, looking considerably more refreshed.  She found her mother sitting on the living room floor, making a papier-mâché pig.

                Yawning, Rory greeted her mother.  "Morning, mom."

                "Hi sweetheart.  Did you sleep well?"

                "Yeah.  Did Tristan go to school?"

                "Yep.  What, did you expect him to wait for you to wake up, Sleeping Beauty?"

                Rory flushed.  "Of course not!  I just…wondered."

                "Uh-huh."  Lorelai nodded knowingly.  "Don't worry your pretty little head about it any more, because he's coming back here right after school."

                Flopping down on the couch, Rory looked vaguely surprised.  "Really?  I figured he'd use any excuse he could to bail on our tutoring session."

                "Actually, he's going to bring you your assignments."

                "Oh, good.  I really can't afford to get behind.  I'd never catch up.  But…Dean's coming over."

                "Honey, there's something I need to tell you about Dean."

                "What?"

                "Remember yesterday at the hospital when I asked him how he knew to go there?"

                "Yeah, he said he heard about it from the famous Stars Hollow gossip circle."

                Lorelai moved over to the couch and placed her hand on top of Rory's.  "The only person I told yesterday was Luke.  Do you understand what I'm saying?"

                Rory's face fell.  "There's no way Dean could have just heard about it, is there?"

                Lorelai shook her head.  "There's more.  Ms. Patty told me that Babette saw Dean spying on you and Tristan."

                In an instant, Rory's face contorted in fury, and her voice raised several decibels.  "_Spying_ on me?  How dare he?  He told me he trusted me!  How could he betray me like this?"

                "Maybe, um, he thought you were betraying him."

                Rory groaned loudly and flopped back against the sofa cushions.  "Don't you start with that too.  All we were doing was studying."

                "And having a pillow fight," Lorelai interjected.

                "And having a pillow fight," Rory conceded.  "That's still not exactly what I would call a romantic interlude."

                "No, it's not.  But tell me, how do you feel about Tristan?"

                "Tristan's…Tristan.  I don't know how to explain it."

                "Do you consider him a friend?"

                "A few days ago, I would have said no.  But now…yeah, I guess I do."

                "What changed?  Did something happen between the two of you?"

                Rory shrugged, and began to squirm slightly.  "No, not really.  I mean, he's pretty much been avoiding me this year."

                "So why the sudden chumminess?"

                Sighing, Rory began to explain.  "The other night, when Dean and I were out, Tristan and his parents showed up at the restaurant.  Dean didn't see them, but we overhead his parents reaming him out over his grades.  They even banished him from the restaurant.  So I…followed him."

                "You _followed_ him?"

                "I couldn't help it!  I felt sorry for him."

                "Then what happened?"

                "We talked, that's all."

                "Is that when you offered to tutor him?"

                "No, that was Monday."

"Um, wasn't Monday yesterday?"

                "Hence today being Tuesday."

                "So what you're telling me is that in the span of approximately twenty-four hours, you've gone from barely speaking to this boy to having him sleep in your bed?"

                "I didn't _ask_ him to sleep in my bed—it just happened."

                "Uh-huh.  And when you kissed him, did that just happen, too?"

                Rory froze, and her eyes widened.  "How did you know about that?"

                Lorelai leapt to her feet and screamed.  "You mean you actually _did_ kiss him?  I was just kidding!  When?  Why have you been holding out on me?"

                "It was no big deal, really."

                "If it was no big deal, why didn't you tell me about it?"

                "Because I knew you'd freak out and scream and jump up and down."  She paused and glared at her mother before continuing.  "Which is exactly what you're doing."

                In response, Lorelai flopped back down on the couch.  "I want details."

                "It was right after Dean and I broke up.  You wanted to me to wallow, but I went to Madeline's party instead.  Tristan got dumped by his girlfriend, and somehow we ended up in a room alone, sitting on a piano bench, and…we kissed."

                Lorelai's eyes lit up.  "Then what?"

                "Well, then I started to cry, and I ran away."

                Her mother's face fell.  "Oh.  That bad, huh?  Was it like kissing a dead fish?"

                "No, it was…nice.  It was just too soon after Dean."

                "So if you had waited a few weeks to kiss him, would you have liked it?"

                "I don't know.  It's not like I did an experiment with control groups and a hypothesis."

                "Okay, okay.  Aside from the post-breakup, former arch-nemesis awkwardness, how was the kiss?  And don't tell me 'nice.'"

                "It was…sweet, I guess.  Tristan's obviously had a lot of practice, but somehow, that night, he seemed more human."

                "It sounds like you enjoyed it."

                "Maybe a little.  I won't deny that Tristan's a good kisser."

                "As good as Dean?"

                "Mom!"

                "Answer the question, kissy-face girl."

                "Kissing Tristan was different.  Not better, not worse, just different."

                "That's a cop-out answer if ever I heard one.  Tell me, what do you feel when you kiss Dean?"

                "I feel…loved, and safe, and, I don't know, happy, I guess."

                "And what did you feel when you kissed Tristan?"

                "Mom, that was months ago."

                "But you remember, don't you?"

                "Well, yeah…"

                "So what did you feel?  And be honest."

                "I felt…tingly."

                Abruptly, Lorelai stood up, then bent to kiss Rory's forehead.  "I think it's time for you to get some more rest."

                Although puzzled by the sudden end to the conversation, Rory dutifully laid down on the couch.  Practically against her will, her eyelids began to flutter closed after a matter of moments.  Soon, she was so deeply asleep that she didn't hear the front door open and close as Lorelai slipped out of the house.

*              *              *

                With an air of determination about her, Lorelai marched into Luke's diner.  The restaurant was nearly deserted, since ten o'clock in the morning wasn't exactly a rush time.  When he saw her approach, Luke began to reach for the coffeepot, and was subsequently startled when she grabbed his hand and hauled him into the back room.

                "Lorelai, what do you think you're doing?" he shouted.

                "It's an experiment.  With a control group.  And a hypothesis."

                "What? Lor…"

                He was cut off as she pulled him into a passionate kiss.  After his initial shock wore off, he relaxed and began to respond, the tiny, semi-coherent portion of his brain wondering what in the hell just happened.

                Moments later, he finally broke away and looked her straight in the eye.  "You want to tell me what that was?"

                Breathless, she managed to gasp out, "That was the experiment."

                "And was I the control group?" he asked gruffly, fearing the worst.

                She shook her head.  "No, you were the data I needed to prove the hypothesis."

                "Which was what?"

                "That the things my oblivious daughter and I have been missing in our lives are tingles."

                "Tingles?"

                "Luke, would you please stop asking so many questions and kiss me again?"

                He happily obliged.


	6. Tingle Bells, Tingle Bells, Tingle All t...

Pairing: R/T, of course

Rating: PG-13 at the most

Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1

Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television.  No copyright infringement is intended.  The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them.  

**Unbreakable Heart**

**by Grace**

**Part 6:  Tingle Bells, Tingle Bells, Tingle All the Way**

                By the time Lorelai walked back into the house, glowing and starry-eyed, Rory was once more awake.

                "And where have _you been, young lady?" she teased._

                "At Luke's," her mother replied with a happy little sigh.

                "Wow, he must have given you two pots of coffee for you to look like that."

                Lorelai shook her head.  "No, actually, I didn't have any coffee."

                "Wait, what?  You went to Luke's, _didn't have coffee, and you're __happy about it?  Who are you and what have you done with my mother?"_

                With a dreamy look, Lorelai sank to the floor and murmured, "Luke and I kissed."

                "On purpose?  On the lips?"

                "Yeah."

                "_Why?"_

                "Because he makes me…tingle."

                "Tingle?"

                "Mm-hmm.  Just like Tristan makes you tingle."

                Groaning, Rory responded, "Mom, those are two entirely different situations.  You and Luke are two single, consenting, slightly insane adults.  I'm dating Dean.  Tristan and I are just…"

                "Electric?"

                "No!  I was going to say friends."

                "You've mentioned that several times, but I still don't believe you.  Friends don't make each other tingle, Rory."

                Her daughter was starting to get angry.  "What do you want me to do?  Should I break up with Dean just because lately every time I'm around Tristan I can't think straight?  Because the feeling of the one kiss we shared is still etched in my brain?  Because it's almost irrationally important to me that I find a way to help him?  Because I can sense his presence in a way I've never been able to sense Dean?"  When she finished, Rory burst into tears and buried her face in a pillow.

                Lorelai shuffled over to the couch on her knees, and wrapped her arm around Rory.  "Sweetie, I think you just answered your own question.  Or should I say questions?"

                Rory lifted her head, her face tear-streaked and blotchy.  "I know, and that's what scares me."

                "I know.  It's never easy letting go of your first love.  Sometimes I still don't think I'm completely over your father.  But it wouldn't be fair to either you or Dean to stay in the relationship if Tristan is the one you want."

                "What if Tristan doesn't want me?"

                Lorelai smiled softly.  "Oh, sweetie, I don't think you need to worry about that."

                "Are you sure?"

                "I've seen the way he looks at you, the way he acts around you.  You're his world, his heart, his soul.  He's never known anyone like you; never known that someone like you could even exist.  Now that he's found you, I don't think he's ever going to want to let you go."

                "Are you trying to make me even more terrified than I already am?"

                "No, I'm trying to make you see that the way Tristan feels about you is special.  It's real."

                "I know.  It's just…it feels like it's all happening so fast."

                "Oh, I know that feeling, believe me."

                "What's going to happen with you and Luke?"

                "I don't know.  But I know that I'm willing to take the chance and find out."

                "Why?"

                "Because I know that if I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

                For the first time, Rory smiled.  "Then I guess that's a good enough reason for me."

*              *                *

                By three o'clock that afternoon, Rory was considerably more composed.  She figured that Dean would arrive at the house first, and her only hope was that he would be gone before Tristan got there.  She didn't think she could handle another confrontation between the two of them, at least not today.

                It wasn't long before a knock came at the door, and lo and behold, there was Dean, waiting on the porch.  Her expression guarded, Rory ushered him into the house.

                "How are you feeling?" he asked solicitously.

                "A lot better, thanks.  I've been sleeping most of the day, and the headache is almost completely gone."

                "Good, good.  And hey, at least you get a day off from dealing with Tristan."

                "Actually, he's coming over this afternoon."

                "_What?  You've got to be kidding me.  Doesn't this guy know when to quit?"_

                "Dean, it's not like that.  He's bringing me my assignments, and we'll have our tutoring session."

                "Rory, you need your rest."

                "I've been resting all day.  Besides, you know I can't afford to fall behind in my class work.  Neither can Tristan."

                "Why is it so important to you to help him?"

                "Because he's my friend.  And because I…care about him."

                Dean looked at her with wary eyes.  "What are you saying?"

                She sighed.  "I'm saying that I think we need to talk."

                His voice became hard and cold.  "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?  You're breaking up with me because of _him."_

                "No!  I mean, that's not the only reason.  I don't feel like you trust me, Dean, and I can't be in a relationship with someone if we don't trust each other."

                "What are you talking about?"

                "I know you were spying on us yesterday."

                His eyes blazed, and Rory could tell he was on the verge of losing control.  "Did _he tell you that?  He's just trying to manipulate you."_

                "My mom told me," she replied softly but sternly.  "I had no idea Tristan even knew."

                His face blanched, and he knew he had made a grievous error.  "Look, Rory, I wasn't really spying.  I just…I just came over to see how you were doing."

                "In other words, you came to check up on me.  If it was so important to you to know, the least you could have done was ring the doorbell so I could invite you in to see for yourself.  It's not like I had anything to hide.  Instead, you chose to lurk in the bushes and peer through the window like some kind of stalker."

                "Rory…"

                "I don't want to hear your excuses, or your rationalization for your behavior.  There's nothing you can say to justify what you did.  Ever since we got back together, I've felt stifled.  You've come up with eighty-seven different anniversaries for us to celebrate.  It's like you think we have to have all these _reasons to stay together.  I've run out of reasons, Dean, and I don't think we should see each other anymore."_

                "But I love you…"

                "You say that, but real love involves trust.  That's something we obviously don't have."

                "I can change, Rory!  I know I can."

                There were tears in her eyes, but she was resolute.  "This isn't about trying to change you.  I don't think I love you anymore.  I'm not completely sure I ever did love you."

                "Please don't do this," he pleaded, his face crumbling.

                "I have to," she whispered."

                "Isn't there anything I can do to change your mind?"

                She shook her head slowly.

                "Then I guess there's really no point in my staying here any longer, is there?"  He glanced up, hoping she might contradict him.

                "I guess not."

                In silence, she walked him to the door.  As it closed behind him, she burst into tears and sank to the floor.

                Hearing her sobs, Lorelai rushed to Rory's side.  Without a word, she cradled her daughter in her arms, and rocked her as she cried.

*              *                *

                Almost forty minutes later, Tristan stood patiently on the Gilmore porch, waiting for someone to answer the door.  When it swung open to reveal Rory, he was stunned to see that her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot.  She had obviously been crying, and a spike of concern shot through him.

                "Rory, what's wrong?  Are you okay?"

                She shrugged.  "Not particularly.  You want to come in?"

                He stepped over the threshold as she held open the door.

                "So what happened?  Or do you not want to talk about it?"

                "I don't mind.  Besides, if I don't tell you, my mom probably will."

                "I heard that!" yelled Lorelai.

                He grinned.  "True.  Let's at least sit down and get comfortable before you launch into the saga."

                "It's not much of a saga, really.  Dean and I broke up today."

                Tristan froze mid-way through sitting down on the couch.  "You what?"

                "We broke up.  More precisely, I broke up with him."

                He completed his descent to the sofa cushion with a soft thump.  "Okay. Um.  Yeah."

                "Speechless?"

                "Something like that.  I'm just surprised, I guess.  I thought you two were the happy, golden couple."

                "We were, for a little while, at least.  Things were never quite as good after the first break-up, and lately…lately things have been confusing."  She sat down beside him, and shyly turned to face him.

                Tentatively, he reached out and clasped her hand.  "Confusing how?"

                She blushed, and felt her heart flutter within her chest.  "Confusing how…you make me feel."

                "And how is that?" he asked in a whisper, fear and hope warring in his voice.

                Her flush deepened.  "You make me feel special.  And sometimes you…you make me tingle."

                Tristan grinned.  "Tingle?"

                "Yeah, when we, when we kissed, it made me tingle."

                He shifted closer to her.  "So would it be a good tingle?"

                She nodded.

                "And would you be terribly upset if I tried to recreate that phenomenon?"

                Mutely, she shook her head.  Slowly, he leaned in and brushed the barest of feather-light kisses across her lips.  When he pulled away, he locked his penetrating blue eyes with hers, and said quietly, "For the record, you make me tingle, too.  Believe me, I've never tingled for anyone else."

                Her face lit up with a smile.  "Neither have I."

                His eyes darkened, and his face became somber.  "Rory, I want you to know, we don't need to rush into anything.  You can take all the time you need to get over Dean or whatever.  I've waited this long for you; it certainly won't kill me to wait a little longer.  I'll wait as long as it takes."

                By now, her eyes were shining with tears.  "You keep on surprising me, Tris.  I'm not even sure why you were willing to wait for me at all, after what I said to you last year."

                "Well, it's not like I _wanted to wait for you…"  She smacked him lightly on the arm.  "I just couldn't get you out of my head, Rory—or out of my heart.  I tried to keep my distance, but sometimes, I just couldn't tear my eyes away from you."_

                Rory squirmed around on the couch until she could lean back against Tristan's chest.  "You know, sometimes I could feel you watching me."

                He was startled, to say the least.  "Really?  Wow."  As he had wanted to do for months, he allowed his fingers to brush through her hair, gently massaging her scalp.  "Speaking of watching each other, I never did get to find out exactly why you fainted upon sight of me last night."

                Cheeks crimson, Rory titled her head back to meet Tristan's gaze.  "I did have a concussion, remember.  So it's not like your half-clad physique was the sole cause for my collapse."

                The characteristic smirk slid into place.  "At least you acknowledge that it was a contributing factor."

                Dryly, she replied, "I may have been in denial, but that didn't mean I had been stricken blind."

                "You know, right before you passed out, I asked you a question that you never answered."

                "And what was that?"

                "Do you like what you see?" he asked, his husky tone sending shivers up and down Rory's spine.

                "What do you think?" she murmured, leaning her head back to plant a gentle kiss on his neck.

                "Have I mentioned how much better I like you when you're not mad at me?"

                "Have I mentioned how much better I like _you when you're not making me mad?" she chided gently._

                "Touché.  I never meant to hurt you, Rory.  When I was around you, I couldn't seem to think straight.  It was like all my brain functions reverted back to when I was five years old, pulling Paris' pigtails and throwing sand at Louise."

                She giggled.  "You pulled Paris' hair?  Gee, it's no wonder she fell for you."

                "Well, I could pull your hair, but you've already fallen for me."

                "Pretty confident, aren't you?"

                "Not with you.  Never with you, Rory.  I never had to work for anything until you came along.  Nothing was ever worth working for before you."

                Tears filled her eyes yet again.  "Thank you.  Thank you for thinking I was worth working for, and for being willing to wait."

                "Believe me, I would do it all again."

                "Just so you know, you were worth tormenting for more than a year."

                "Gee, thanks."

                "Aww, you know my biting wit is one of the things you like best about me."

                "Well, that, and the fact that you're going to help me get an 'A' in English."

                "You think so, huh?  I think we need to work out some kind of payment plan."

                "What exactly did you have in mind?"

                "Hmm…gold, diamonds, maybe a romantic dinner for two."

                "Have I mentioned that I like the way you think?  I'll take payment plan 'C,' by the way."

                "Once or twice.  But I don't mind hearing it over and over."

                "Greedy girl.  What do I get in return?"

                "We can discuss that after you read me the next five chapters of _A Tale of Two Cities."_

                "That could take hours."

                It was Rory's turn to smirk.  "I'm counting on it." 


	7. Revelations and Repercussions

Pairing: R/T, of course  
  
Rating: PG-13 at the most  
  
Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Season 1  
  
Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman- Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brother Television. No copyright infringement is intended. The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them.  
  
  
  
Unbreakable Heart  
  
by Grace  
  
Part 7: Revelations and Repercussions  
  
Tristan had never considered Wednesday to be a particularly special day of the week. After all, it just kind of sat there, in between Tuesday and Thursday, as if waiting for someone to give it a purpose. It wasn't early enough in the week to be truly vexing, and not late enough to be anticipating the weekend.  
  
This Wednesday, though, was special. This Wednesday, he would wait beside Rory Gilmore's locker because he belonged there, was welcome there. He would walk her to class not to antagonize her, but because she enjoyed his company. He would place a guiding hand on the small of her back not to get a rise out of her, but from a simple yearning to touch her, and a proprietary need to protect her.  
  
Tristan DuGrey walked into Chilton wearing a smile—not a smirk, not a leer—all because the night before, Rory had kissed him. Even better, she hadn't run away crying in the aftermath.  
  
She had fallen asleep in his arms while he read A Tale of Two Cities, and when it was time for dinner, he awakened her with a kiss. His very own Sleeping Beauty. As her eyelids had fluttered open, she had smiled at him, and he hoped that by some miracle, some super-sophisticated spy satellite was looking down that very moment, so that others would know it really happened.  
  
The hallways were bustling with groggy students, but after peering intently into the crowd, Tristan was pleased to discover that Rory had not yet arrived. Somehow, it just seemed fitting that he be waiting for her—an analogy of sorts to all the waiting he had done over the course of their tumultuous relationship. At any rate, he enjoyed the symbolism of her walking willingly towards him, even if it was primarily to get to her locker.  
  
He noticed her approach a few minutes later, her nose occupying its customary position in a book. The crowd parted like the Red Sea as she progressed, allowing her to pass by unscathed.  
  
Sensing his gaze upon her, Rory's head tilted up, and their eyes locked. The connection didn't falter as she walked towards him, and soon the distance had been closed. Her cheeks were flushed with nervous anticipation, and he was shocked to discover that his hands were trembling. That was an unexpected development. Tristan DuGrey didn't do trembling.  
  
Then again, up until the night before, Tristan DuGrey didn't do tingling, either.  
  
"Hi." Her voice was quiet, tentative, and he felt doubts flood him as he rushed to put her at ease.  
  
"So how's your leg feeling today?"  
  
"Better. I don't think I'll be running a marathon this week, but then, I wouldn't do that anyway."  
  
An uneasy silence settled over the pair, and this time, Tristan didn't know what to say. He watched Rory take a deep breath, and braced himself for the worst.  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Fire away," he replied, trying not to wince.  
  
"I didn't imagine what happened yesterday, did I? Or dream it?"  
  
He smiled in relief, saying, "No, but it was definitely a dream come true for me."  
  
She grinned then, and said with a twinkle in her eye, "Then I guess you won't mind if I do this."  
  
"Do wh…"  
  
He was cut off when she stood on her tiptoes and brushed a quick kiss across his lips.  
  
As he gazed down at her in wonder, sardonic applause sounded from behind them. They turned to discover Paris, a dark scowl on her face.  
  
"A touching scene, really. Now if you two are finished triggering my gag reflex for the day, I'd like to get to my locker sometime before the dawn of the new millennium."  
  
"Paris…" Rory began.  
  
"Save it, Gilmore. No matter how many times you tried to deny it, I knew you had your sights set on Tristan from the moment you walked into Chilton. Well, now you have him. Congratulations. I hope you're not too disappointed that your medal hasn't been engraved yet."  
  
"Enough, Paris," Tristan said sharply.  
  
She whirled on him. "Enough what? Enough pining after you for more than eleven years, only to be sent on a pity date with you by this little waif from Smalltown, USA? Enough praying that you might notice me as something other than smart, only to have the Queen Bookworm waltz in and monopolize your attention?"  
  
"I never meant for things to turn out like this, Paris," Rory said softly.  
  
"Of course, you didn't," she replied snidely. "After all, you already had one gorgeous boyfriend. I guess Tall, Dark, and Dumb just wasn't man enough for you. I suppose you'll try to set me up with him next." Her tirade apparently complete, Paris spun on her heel and stormed off down the hall.  
  
Rory turned to face Tristan, and rested her head on his firm chest. "Well, that went well," she mumbled into his shirt.  
  
He chuckled, and stroked her silky hair softly. "You have to give Paris credit—she never does anything halfway."  
  
Rory lifted her head and cocked it at him. "Is that supposed to be encouraging?"  
  
"Oh, she'll get over it…someday."  
  
She groaned, and resumed snuggling into the warm muscles of his chest. "I'll probably have grandkids by then."  
  
He dropped a quick kiss on the crown of her head, and conceded, "That's entirely possible."  
  
* * *  
  
Rory managed to survive the remainder of the school day without any further confrontations with Paris, but the entire school was buzzing about the change in her relationship with Tristan. Madeline and Louise looked at her as though she had grown a second head, while the rest of the female student population simply sent jealous glares in her direction. Most of the guys just smirked, certain she was just another notch in the DuGrey belt of conquest.  
  
For his part, Tristan winced every time one of his "friends" clapped him on the back and congratulated him for "finally getting the Gilmore chick." He knew what his reputation was—he had earned it. He also knew, though, that Rory was anything but a conquest. He had to find a way to show all of Chilton that he genuinely cared about Rory—before the rampant rumors reached her ears. That is, if they hadn't already…  
  
He approached her locker tentatively at the end of the day, and felt a surge of relief when she flashed him a weary smile.  
  
"Rough day?' he inquired softly.  
  
"You could say that. Going out with Dean was never quite this stressful."  
  
A frisson of fear crept up his spine, and he asked, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Overnight, I've gone from being a social outcast with no friends, to being reviled by every girl in school because I'm dating you. It's exhausting."  
  
He grinned slightly and edged closer to her. "So is that what we're doing?"  
  
Her brow furrowed. "Is what what we're doing?"  
  
He stepped still closer. "Dating."  
  
Rory flushed and tried to inch away from him, only to discover she was trapped between Tristan and her locker. Instinctively placing one small hand against his rock-hard chest, she realized she'd have a better chance of moving the locker. Nervously, she cleared her throat and replied, "Well, 'making out on the couch' takes too long to say."  
  
Tristan laughed, a hearty, joyous sound, and stooped over to place a hungry kiss on her lips. The hand she had rested on his chest was now trapped between them, while her other hand snaked around his neck, threading through the soft tendrils of hair there.  
  
He broke away abruptly, knowing they were causing a scene, and struggled not to laugh at the dazed, wanton expression on her face.  
  
"You know, Mary, dating usually involves going places together, just the two of us. Do you think that could be an acceptable part of our relationship?"  
  
"I'd like that. How about this Friday? We can celebrate surviving the English test."  
  
"Perfect."  
  
They were interrupted by a buxom blonde sophomore approaching them and latching possessively onto Tristan's arm.  
  
"Hi Tris" she cooed, batting her (obviously false) eyelashes.  
  
"Oh, um, hi Tanya," he answered awkwardly, trying desperately to free his limb from her grasp.  
  
"I was thinking maybe we could do something Friday night. Go out…or stay in," she added suggestively.  
  
"Sorry, but I already have plans with Rory."  
  
She pouted, but immediately offered, "How about Saturday, then?"  
  
He finally managed to extricate his arm, and said firmly, "I don't think you understand. Rory and I are seeing each other now. That means I won't be dating anyone else.  
  
Tanya looked crestfallen. "Oh. Well, if you change your mind, call me!" Then she bounced off down the hallway.  
  
Tristan turned back to Rory, and she sighed.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I guess I'm just going to have to get used to that."  
  
"Get used to what?"  
  
"Girls throwing themselves at you."  
  
His expression became serious, and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Rory, I want you to know, you're the only girl I want to date, the only girl I want to spend time with. I want to be with you for as long as you can find it in your heart to put up with me."  
  
Rory smiled up at him, and brushed a rebellious tear away from her eye. "Fair enough. Since I haven't killed you yet, I'd say you're doing pretty well so far."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind. Now, can I take you home?"  
  
"Lead on, Jeeves. And don't forget your copy of A Tale of Two Cities."  
  
He slung an arm around her shoulders, and grumbled, "Such a slave driver" as they walked out of school.  
  
  
  
TBC 


	8. Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Light Dean on Fi...

Pairing: R/T, of course

Rating: PG-13 at the most

Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Seasons 1 & 2, although most things from the Season 2 timeframe will deviate from canon

Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brothers Television.  No copyright infringement is intended.  The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them.  

Author's note: Again, I apologize for the significant delay in getting this part out.  The only reason it got done now is because I've been home sick for the last day and a half.  Life, as usual, has been crazy.  Plus, this part is much more dialogue-intensive than I normally write, which makes it harder for me.  In addition, I am introducing the character of Jess in this part.  I can't remember the date of Milo Ventimiglia's original airdate, but this story is set in October 2001, so he hasn't been around long.

**Unbreakable Heart**

**by**** Grace**

**Part 8: Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Light Dean on Fire**

                "Need coffee.  Must…have…coffee," moaned Lorelai, making her entrance at Luke's more dramatic than normal.

                Jess glanced up from the magazine he had been paging through.  "For here or to go?" he inquired blandly.

                Lorelai's face split into an ecstatic grin.  Although she was looking forward to more kissy-face time with Luke, Jess didn't argue while dispensing the nectar of the gods, which made him, well, a god.  "One for here and one to go."

                He cracked a small smile as he poured her first mug.  "I don't even know why I asked."

                Expression reverent, Lorelai inhaled the heavenly aroma wafting up from the steaming brew.  "To you I bequeath my firstborn."

                His eyebrow quirked with interest.  "So does that mean I get Rory?"

                "Get Rory for what?" asked the girl in question.

                Jess looked up and Lorelai spun on her stool to see Rory and Tristan entering the diner.  "Nothing much," smirked the dark-haired boy.  "Your mother just offered you up as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of Jess in exchange for two cups of coffee."

                "Only two?" scoffed Rory.  "Frankly, I think I'm worth at least an entire pot."

                Leaning forward and resting his elbows on the counter, he replied, "I'm open to counter-offers."

                Tristan, who had been watching the scenario play out with amusement—and a slight twinge of jealousy—fully expected Rory to blush at that comment.  To his surprise, she simply laughed and took a seat next to her mother.

                "Fine.  Then I offer you the counter."

                "Touché.  Coffee?"

                She shot him a "duh" look, and he turned his attention to Tristan.  "So are you a fellow addict?"

                "I'm nowhere in their league, but I could use the caffeine."

                Within moments, Jess was handing mugs to Rory and Tristan.  "I'm Jess, by the way."

                Transferring his coffee to his left hand, Tristan held out his right.  "Tristan."

                Accepting the handshake, Jess commented, "I take it you go to school with Rory?"

                Tristan glanced down at his Chilton uniform.  "Gee, whatever gave it away?"

                Completely straight-faced, Jess said, "The shoes, of course."

                Tristan grinned.  The guy was a smart-ass, no doubt about that.  Still, Jess reminded him of someone…  It took a moment before the realization dawned—it was like looking at a dark-haired, dark-eyed reflection of himself.

                His musings were interrupted by Lorelai.  "So which circle of Hell did you two get to navigate today?"

                Rory groaned and allowed her head to thud down onto the counter.  "The Paris circle," she mumbled into the Formica.

                "What's wrong with Paris?  I hear it's lovely in the spring," joked Jess.

                She lifted her head just high enough to shoot him a baleful glare.  "Not Paris the city, Paris the editor of _The Franklin who hates me."_

                Jess was incredulous.  "You actually know someone named Paris?  I thought that only happened in overrated Shakespearean tragedies."

                "Trust me, Paris Gellar is no fictional character," interjected Tristan.  "In keeping with the _Romeo and Juliet theme, though, there is a definite blood feud between her and Rory."_

                "Two things," said Jess, holding up the appropriate number of fingers.  "First, kudos on finally finding a literate boyfriend.  I'm pretty sure His Floppy Haired-ness missed a recent Curious George reference.  Second, blood feuds always have a reason behind them, no matter how stupid.  What's the story?"

                Having been silent for a good five minutes, Lorelai was ready to explode.  She began waving her hand frantically in the air.  "Pick me, pick me!  I know, I know!"

                "Take it away, mom."

                "It's a simple, age-old story, really.  Girl meets boy.  Boy meets other girl with fewer psychotic tendencies.  Sane girl ditches grocery-bagging boy with stalker-like tendencies.  Sane girl and non-produce-oriented boy hook up.  Psychotic girl snaps."

                "Did you follow that, or do you need a Lorelai-to-English translation?" asked Rory.

                "I think I got the general gist, thanks."

                "So any advice, O sage one?"

                "Sure, it's simple.  Find her a new guy to fixate on."

                "Easy for you to say," Rory scoffed.  "Where am I going to find an intelligent, attractive guy who's smart enough to pique her interest and tough enough to put up with her crap…" She trailed off, a wicked sparkle beginning to gleam in her eyes.

                Luke chose that moment to come out of the storeroom.  "A word of advice, Jess—say no to whatever she asks you in the next thirty seconds."

                Lorelai tried to scowl and grin at the same time, which just sent her face into strange contortions.  "Watch it, mister, or you'll be hit with the Gilmore gypsy curse."

                He bent over the counter and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.  "I have no plans to be a vampire with a soul, thank you very much."

                The three teenagers gaped at him.  "Since when do you watch _Angel?" giggled Rory._

                "Not the point," groaned Luke.

                "Then what is the point, Uncle Luke?"

                "The point, as you will soon learn, is that when a Gilmore girl gets that look in her eyes, it can only mean trouble."

                "Okay, I'll bite.  What _were you thinking just now, Rory?" inquired Tristan._

                She spun slowly on her stool, completing a 360° rotation before speaking.  "I was thinking that Paris and Jess might be perfect for each other."

                While Luke and Jess stared at her, Tristan and Lorelai burst out laughing.  "Rory, do you by any chance remember what happened the last time you tried to play matchmaker for Paris?" asked Tristan between chuckles.

                She swatted him playfully.  "I'm sure Jess would at least have enough sense not to tell her that!"

                Jess waved his hand in front of their faces.  "Hi, I'm still here.  And, despite the fact that it might trigger the apocalypse, I'm going to listen to Uncle Luke and say no."

                "Smart boy," grumbled Luke.

                "Oh, come on, Jess, won't you at least meet her?" pleaded Rory.

                "No.  Trust me, Rory, rebellious bad boy meets brainy rich girl is not a match made in teen-movie heaven."

                "Sure it is!" yelled Lorelai.  "Didn't you ever see _The Breakfast…"_

                She was cut off when Luke clamped a hand over her mouth.  Within seconds, he let out a yelp.  "You bit me!"

                "You cut me off while I was talking about John Hughes!"

                "So?"

                "So?!  That's it, buster!  We're having a John Hughes movie marathon this weekend—_Sixteen Candles, __The Breakfast Club, __Pretty in Pink, __Some Kind of Wonderful, __Ferris Bueller's Day Off…"_

                This time, Luke used a different tactic to shut her up—he pulled her into a searing kiss.  Rory rolled her eyes heavenward and mumbled, "Good grief."  The three non-kissing people refocused on the topic at hand.

                "Even if I did agree to your plan—which I'm not—when would Paris and I even meet?" queried Jess.

                "Oh, I'll think of something!  Thanks, Jess!" Rory grabbed Tristan by the hand and pulled him out of the diner.

                "Why do I get the feeling I just agreed to something?" asked Jess.

                Luke broke away from Lorelai, and said, "She's a Gilmore.  That's what they do."

*              *              *

                No sooner had Rory and Tristan gotten outside when they ran into a familiar figure walking down the sidewalk.

                "Dean.  Hi."

                Her ex-boyfriend glared down at them.  "Well that sure didn't take long.  No wonder it was so easy for you to break up with me—you had him waiting in the wings all along."

                "You know it wasn't like that…"

                "Whatever, Rory.  You all but admitted to me yesterday that you broke up with me to be with him."

                "No, I…"

                "Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that we would have broken up yesterday if it hadn't been for the accountant here?"

                Rory's tone was defiant.  "Maybe we wouldn't have broken up yesterday, but we would have broken up, Dean.  It's not Tristan's fault that I have feelings for him.  You can't force someone to feel a certain way.  We broke up because it was the right thing for me to do."

                A pained expression contorted Dean's features.  "But what about what's right for me?  I still love you."

                Tears were threatening now, but she choked them back.  "I'm sorry, Dean.  I never meant to hurt you."

                "Yeah, well, that doesn't make it hurt any less."  Without another word, he turned and stalked off.

                Rory felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and turned to face Tristan.

                "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

                She sniffled and nodded simultaneously.  "I'll be fine.  You know how it is after you end a relationship."

                He flashed her a sardonic grin.  "I seem to recall that's how I ended up kissing you in the first place."

                She blushed.  "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

                Tristan reached out and twined their fingers together.  "Not in this lifetime.  Now come on, Charles Dickens awaits."

                "Far be it from me to impede your education."

                "And after I'm sufficiently literate, you can plot more of your hare-brained matchmaking schemes."

                "Who are you calling hare-brained, mister?"

                "No one.  I'm calling your _schemes hare-brained."_

                "Gee, that's so much better."

                "Aw, you know you find me irresistible."

                "Black holes are irresistible too, you know.  That doesn't mean they're good things."

                "So now I'm a black hole?"

                "Your words, not mine," she giggled, and dashed off in the direction of her house.

                "You're not getting away that easily, Mary!" he yelled, and took off in hot pursuit.

To be continued… 


	9. Tasmanian Gellar Meets Mr. Plumbing!

Pairing: R/T, of course

Rating: PG-13 at the most

Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Seasons 1 & 2, although most things from the Season 2 timeframe will deviate from canon

Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brothers Television.  No copyright infringement is intended.  The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them.  

Author's note: Apparently, my writer's block is completely gone.  Here's hoping it stays that way.  As you might note in reading this part, Jess and Lorelai have a considerably more cordial relationship than they do on the actual show.  I justify that by the simple fact that I am not using Jess as a potential romantic interest for Rory, thereby making him much less threatening in Lorelai's eyes.  Oh, and I know next to nothing about plumbing, so just go with it, okay? Oh, and I don't know for certain that Rory and Lorelai have a basement.  In my world, they do. That said, enjoy!

**Unbreakable Heart**

**by Grace**

**Part 9: Tasmanian Gellar Meets Mr. Plumbing!**

                "Ugh!" Tristan flopped back against the couch with a groan of frustration.  "This book is going to be the death of me!"

                "I thought you were starting to like it?"

                "I changed my mind."

                Rory glanced at her watch.  "If it makes you feel any better, it's almost time for dinner.  You're staying, right?"

                "Of course.  Luke's again?"

                "Nah.  I thought we'd get some Thai at Al's Pancake World."

                He looked at her, puzzled.  "You want to run that by me one more time?"

                Before she could respond, the front door opened, and Lorelai walked in, followed by Jess.

                "Hi mom.  Hi Jess.  What are you doing here?"

                "Nice to see you again, too, Rory," he said dryly.

                "Sorry.  I just didn't know you were coming over."

                "I asked him to take a look at that leaky faucet in the bathroom."

                "Ooh, yay.  It'll be nice to wash my face without having to worry about Old Faithful erupting."

                "Yeah, that was my thought.  So what's the word on dinner?"

                "Tristan and I were thinking Thai."

                "Yummy.  Is it Wednesday already?"

                "Yep.  Want me to call it in now?"

                "Sure.  Jess, you want anything?"

                "Yeah, whatever you guys are getting is fine.  I'm gonna go take a look at that faucet."

                "'Kay.  Mom, where's the take-out menu from Al's?"

                "Uh…with the rest of the take-out menus?"

                "And those would be where?"

                "Beats me.  Good luck."

                After ten minutes of intensive searching, Rory finally dug out the menu and placed the order.

                "The food will be ready in twenty minutes.  I thought I'd show Tristan the town on the way to pick it up."

                "Sounds good, kiddo."

                Rory turned to Tristan.  "You ready?"

                He leapt to his feet.  "Definitely.  Madame Defarge is giving me a headache."

                They left a few minutes later, and Lorelai went to check on Jess.

                "Hey there, plumber boy.  What's the good word?"

                "I'm pretty sure I can fix it.  Can you do me a favor and shut off the water?"

                "Um, sure."

                Leaning over the sink, Jess could hear Lorelai clattering around in the basement.  A worrisome thought struck him, and he shouted, "Make sure you turn it to the…"

                Before he could finish, Lorelai twisted the valve to the full open position.  The increased pressure caused the faulty gasket to blow, and he was suddenly drenched in cold water.

                "Aagh!" Spitting the water from his mouth, he yelled, "The other way!  Turn it the other way!"

                A few seconds later, the impromptu geyser ceased, and Jess could hear Lorelai pounding up the basement steps.  Her jaw dropped when she got to the bathroom door and saw him dripping wet.

                "Oh Jess, I'm so sorry!  I'm not particularly maintenance-oriented."

                He shook some of the water from his hair.  "Yeah, I got that."

                Lorelai handed him a towel.  "Here, get yourself dried off.  I'm sure Rory has a sweatshirt or something you can put on."

                "Thanks."  Without another word, he headed into Rory's room and shut the door.

                As Lorelai was surveying the newly formed pond in her bathroom, the doorbell rang.  Trudging towards the front door, she grumbled, "When did my life turn into a scene from _Animal House?"_

                Opening the door, she was nearly bowled over by a pigtailed whirlwind.  Once inside, the tornado coalesced into a fuming young woman.

                "All right, where are they?"

                "Nice to see you again too, Paris."

                "I repeat, where are they?"

                "Who are you…"

                "Rory and Tristan.  Don't try to hide it.  I know they're here.  I saw his car."

                "I'm sorry, but they're not…"

                "Look, if you're not going to tell me, I'll just find them myself."  She quickly re-morphed into her own version of the Tasmanian Devil, and barged further into the house.

                Resigned to the fact that her life would never be normal, Lorelai simply shut the door and waited for the next explosion.

                Paris made a beeline for Rory's bedroom, and threw open the door without hesitation.  She pulled up short when confronted with the sight of a wet, toned, taut, and undeniably shirtless Jess.  Recovering quickly—and trying desperately to ignore the tempting trail of water slowly wending its way to his waistband—she launched into an impromptu tirade.

                "Who are you, and what are you doing in Rory's room?  This is just priceless.  It's bad enough that she's ensnared Tristan, but now she has some other half-naked guy just hanging around the house!"

                "You must be Paris."

                "How do you know who I am?" she queried, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

                "So is there a particular reason why your parents named you after the guy Juliet rejected in favor of Romeo, or were they just having a bad day when you were born?"

                "For your information, it happens to be a family name," Paris grated out, "and you still haven't told me who you are."

                "I'm Jess."

                She stared at him.  "That's all you're going to say?  You want to tell me why you're alone in Rory's bedroom, only half-clad?"

                "You keep referring to my state of undress.  Is it bothering you?  Because I can take off my pants, too."

                "No!  I mean, that's not necessary."

                "Calm down, Frenchie.  I'm a friend of Rory and Lorelai's.  They asked me to fix a leaky faucet.  A word of advice—never ask Lorelai to shut off the water for you."

                "Gee, I'm sure that'll be a useful tip someday.  I…didn't mean to assume…I mean, about you and Rory…"

                Jess shrugged, and finally pulled on a large gray Harvard sweatshirt.  "Don't worry about it.  Rory's great, believe me, but I have no urge to play Paris to her Juliet."

                Paris smiled shyly.  "I know the feeling."

                "So what brings you to our charming little hamlet?"

                "What, you mean you're not a born-and-bred, died-in-the-wool Stars Hollowite?"

                He gave a sharp laugh.  "Not a chance.  This place is my very own Isle of Elba."

                "What, your parents didn't want to deal with you either?"

                "I sense a poor-little-rich-girl story coming on."

                Her face hardened instantly.  "Well, I wouldn't want to bore you."  She spun on her heel and started to leave.

                Impulsively, Jess reached out and caught her by the elbow.  "It was a joke, Paris.  Now come on, you still haven't told me what you're doing here."

                Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned back to face him.  "I guess it was just, I don't know, a crazy, last-ditch attempt to try and regain some dignity, and maybe even…"

                He sat down on Rory's bed, and pulled Paris to a seat next to him.  "Maybe to finally convince Tristan that he had picked the wrong girl?"

                She blushed and leaned her head forward, her twin braids swinging haplessly beside her cheeks.  "I know it's stupid…"

                "So how long have you liked him, anyway?"

                "Eleven years."

                "Eleven years?  Wow.  That's a long time."  Putting his hands behind his head, he fell back onto the bed.  "So do you really believe he picked the wrong girl?"

                She fell backward beside him, and sighed.  "No.  I guess I just figured that if I was patient and waited long enough, he would realize that there's more to life than being beautiful."

                "You know, Rory isn't just another pretty face."

                "I know.  Somehow, that makes it worse.  He finally gets a clue…"

                "But he still didn't pick you."

                "Yeah."  She turned her head to look at him, and suddenly realized that their faces were only inches apart.  Flustered, she quickly sat up.  "I've spilled my guts to you.  Now tell me the truth—are you secretly in love with Rory?"

                Jess grinned.  "No."

                "Why not?  Everyone else seems to be."

                "I guess I'm not everyone else.  Rory's just…a little too sweet, a little too pure, a little too much like a sister."

                "A sister?  How so?"

                "My uncle just started dating her mom.  We're practically family."

                "You mean Lorelai decided to troll for dates somewhere other than the Chilton teacher's lounge?"

                Irritated, Jess got off of the bed.  "You know, Paris, maybe if you had ever stopped slinging your barbs at everyone for more than thirty seconds, Tristan would have given you a chance."

                As he walked out of the room, she called out, "Where are you going?"

                "I have a faucet to fix, remember?  Besides, I'm sure your parents would be appalled to know you were spending time with someone so blue-collar."

*              *              *

Out in the hallway, Jess found Lorelai sitting on the floor against the wall, munching on O-Ke-Doke popcorn and swigging a Coke.

                "Having fun?" he asked.

                "Oh, yeah.  You two are better than _General__Hospital.  Not that I watch, of course—at least not since Jason left.  And I still don't like the new Lucky…"_

                "Lorelai?"

                "What?"

                "I'm going to fix the faucet now."

                "Why don't you wait until after dinner?  Rory and Tristan should be back any minute."

                "Whatever.  I'll be in the living room."

                "Suit yourself.  Just stay away from the refrigerator."  She watched him take a few steps away from her.  "Oh, and Jess?"

                He looked over his shoulder at her.  "Yeah?"

                "Rory was right, you know."

                "About?"

                She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "You two would be _perfect for each other."_

                He gave a disbelieving snort, and walked away.  Hoisting herself off the floor, Lorelai entered her daughter's room.  Paris was still sitting on the bed, head in her hands.

                Nudging the door shut with her foot, Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest and announced, "You and I need to talk."

To be continued… 


	10. Yeah, I'm Stunned There's a Part 10, Too

Pairing: R/T, of course

Rating: PG-13 at the most

Spoilers: May reference anything and everything from Seasons 1 & 2, although most things from the Season 2 timeframe will deviate from canon

Disclaimer: The characters referenced here are the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Warner Brothers Television. No copyright infringement is intended. The characters are being used solely for entertainment purposes, and no profit is being made from them. 

A/N: Apparently this story isn't as dead as some of you may have thought.  I honestly believed that this would be the final chapter, but then I started writing, and, well, it's not.  I think there will be one more.  Here's hoping I get it out in a slightly more timely fashion.

**Unbreakable Heart**

**by Grace**

**Part 10: Yeah, I'm Stunned There's a Part 10, Too**

                Tristan and Rory strolled through Stars Hollow, hand in hand.  She had already shown him the Independence Inn and the shed where she and her mother had lived, and they had stopped at Kim's Antiques so he could meet Lane.  They had just picked up dinner at Al's, and now they were cutting through the center of town for a quick stop at the gazebo.

                "Do you ever feel like you're living in a fairy tale, Rory?" Tristan asked quietly.

                She pulled him down to sit beside her on the steps of the gazebo before replying.  "Not really.  I mean, this is all I've ever known.  It's normal to me.  Besides, the whole MIA-dad thing kills some of the fantasy."

                "Princesses in Disney movies rarely have both parents," he pointed out with a chuckle.

                Her brow furrowed for a moment.  "Sleeping Beauty did!" she cried triumphantly.

                "Technically, yes, but she was taken from them and raised for Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather."

                "You know their _names?" she giggled._

                "So?" His tone was defensive.  "My nanny was a Disney junkie."

                "Wow, that sentence just screams 'Mary Poppins on crack.'"

                He groaned.  "That is wrong on so many levels."

                "It really is, isn't it?  A desecration of Julie Andrews' memory."

                "She's not dead, you know."

                "I know.  But she's no longer a brunette."

                "Is that supposed to make sense?"

                "It does to me."

                "That's fine, then."

                "Hey, Tristan?"

                "Yeah?"

                "Shut up and kiss me."

                He willingly complied, cupping her face in his hands.  Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose before allowing his lips to descend upon hers.  He was struck by the sweet flavor of her cherry lip-gloss, the suppleness of her lips, the searing heat of her tongue as it traced the seam of his lips…

                To her surprise, he pulled back.  "Did I do something wrong?" she asked nervously.

                He hugged her close and laughed.  "No, you did everything right.  I just thought maybe we shouldn't start something that won't be finished before the food is stone cold."

                She tilted her head up to look at him, her blue eyes glowing with mischief.  "So do I get a rain check?"

                "Rory, you can have a million rain checks."

                "I'll be keeping count, you know."

                "You do that."

                "You know, you could kiss me almost 16,000 times a day until we're eighty, and it still wouldn't be a million."

                "You're tutoring me in math next."

                "Okay."

                "Does this mean you want to be kissing me when we're eighty?"

                "Hmm.  You'll probably be all wrinkly."

                She giggled when he poked her side, tickling her.

                "I'm not making any promises, Tristan, but yes, kissing you for the next sixty-three years sounds pretty appealing."

                "You're going to be the death of me, Rory."

                "At least you'll die happy."

                "Nah.  I'll die ecstatic."

*              *                *

                Paris eyed Lorelai warily as the older woman sat down on Rory's bed.  "Look, Ms. Gilmore…"

                Lorelai cut her off.  "Point one: it's Lorelai.  Point two: it's my turn to talk, so I suggest you forget whatever excuse about homework you were about to feed me.  Point three: your right to argue with me was forfeited the second you walked into _my home unannounced and uninvited.  So sit down, shut up, and listen to me."_

                "Fantastic parenting skills you've got there," Paris snapped.  "And I'll stand, thanks."

                Lorelai's eyes narrowed.  "You obviously have a problem with my daughter.  My daughter's problems become my problems, because no one is allowed to deliberately hurt her, least of all some self-centered, wealthy, jealous brat who wouldn't see a potential friend if it bit her in the ass.  Of course, if you're bitten in the ass, it's probably not by a potential friend, and they'd most likely be behind you and therefore hard to see…  Anyway, bad example."

                "Do you have a point?" Paris interjected snidely.

                "Of course I have a point.  And I have manners.  You should work on those."

                "I've reached a new low—etiquette lessons from Lorelai Gilmore, the Whore of Hartford."

                Dumbfounded, Lorelai stared for a moment.  "Good to know you have such a high opinion of me.  Feeling's mutual, babe.  As I was saying, you don't like Rory much.  I realize that the whole kind, intelligent, caring, sweet, innocent, genuine personality must be trying for you, but for some reason, my daughter has felt it important to try and be your friend."

                Paris snorted.  "By betraying me with Tristan?"

                "See, that's where you're obviously getting confused.  Rory's relationship with Tristan has absolutely nothing to do with you.  Do you know why?"

                "Enlighten me."

                "Gladly.  The world doesn't revolve around you, Paris.  My God, who do you think you are?  Dawson Leery?  Tristan likes Rory.  Rory likes Tristan.  Their feelings are completely independent of your obsessive Tristan-Lust and your irrational Rory-Hate.  They aren't dating just to spite you."

                "Somehow that's less than comforting."

                Lorelai threw up her hands in defeat.  "I give up.  If you want to wallow in your misery, be my guest—just do it in someone else's house.  Like your own.  On the other hand, if you took the stick out of your ass and the blinders off your eyes, you might discover that there are some pretty amazing guys out there.  Guys who are going to appreciate your sarcastic wit and your intelligence, rather than be intimidated by it.  One of them happens to be in my bathroom right now.  You and Jess seemed to be hitting it off until you did your whole 'open mouth, insert foot' routine.  Maybe if you just threw him up against the wall and kissed him, you wouldn't have enough time to say something stupid."

                With that, Lorelai rose from the bed and dramatically exited the bedroom.

*              *                *

                Tristan froze as he and Rory approached the Gilmore house.

                "What's wrong?"

                "Paris is here."

                Rory groaned and buried her face in Tristan's shoulder.  "Great.  Maybe I should invite Dean over and they can have a Tristan-and-Rory Haters Anonymous meeting."

                "Fun as that sounds, I'd rather go back to the gazebo and make out some more."

                "Nice try, lover boy.  My hunger is currently overwhelming my fear of the Wrath of Paris."

                "Is that like the Wrath of Khan?  And did you just call me 'lover boy'?"

                "I could totally see Paris as a Klingon.  And don't get used to it."

                "The fact that I'm following this conversation at all is terrifying me.  Call me 'lover boy' again.  I want to see if my head explodes."

                "I like your head where it is.  Now quit stalling."

                "You're far too perceptive to want to date someone like me."

                "I know.  You're my trophy boyfriend.  I needed a guy who'd look good in a Speedo."

                He turned her around to face him and circled her waist with his arms.  "Aww.  You think I'm gor-geous.  You want to _kiss me…" he teased in a singsong voice._

                You're quoting _Ms. Congeniality," she said, her voice and expression deadpan._

                "You said you wanted to see me in a Speedo," he retorted, matching her tone.

                "I guess it's a draw, then."

                "Ready to go inside?"

                "You're the one stalling."

                "Am not."

                "Are too."

                "Rock paper scissors?"

                She stopped dead at his bizarre response.  "Um, sure."

                They held out their fists, and Rory burst out laughing.

                "What's so funny?"

                "We're still stalling."

                "Fine."  Abruptly, Tristan grabbed her hand, practically hauled her up the steps, and together they burst through the front door.

*              *                *

                Jess dried off his hands and surveyed the now non-leaky faucet with satisfaction.  Every once in a while, it was good to feel useful.

                At that thought, he quickly wiped the grin off his face.  After all, he didn't want to ruin his reputation.

                Exiting the bathroom, he was literally bowled over by a furious Paris.  Within seconds, they were both sprawled unceremoniously on the floor, limbs entangled.

                "You certainly know how to make an entrance," Jess wheezed, the wind having been knocked out of him.

                Struggling to bite back the sharp retort hovering on the tip of her tongue, Paris hoisted herself off the floor with what she hoped was a modicum of dignity.  "I'm sorry," she said stiffly.  "I was in a hurry, and I didn't see you."

                Jess stood up slowly, gazing at her speculatively.  "So where's the fire?"

                "Excuse me?"

                "Why the big hurry to leave?"

                Much to her own astonishment, Paris heard herself being honest in her reply.  "I don't particularly want to be here when Tristan and Rory get back."

                As if on cue, they heard the front door slam.

                "Too late," Jess said lightly.

                "Perfect," she snapped.  "I don't suppose there's another way out of here?"

                He quirked a lopsided grin in her direction, then grabbed her by the hand and pulled her in the direction of Rory's room.

                "What are you doing?" she hissed.

                "You asked for another way out; I'm giving you one."

                "This had better work."

                "Yes, your highness."

                "Spare me the dramatics, Jess.  I've had more than enough histrionics for one day."

                They had reached the window in Rory's room, and Paris wrenched her hand away from Jess.  "You honestly think that I'm going to go through that?"

                Jess shrugged.  "Have it your way.  We'll go out the front door, and along the way, you can express your best wishes to the happy couple."

                She glared at him for a moment.  "How far down is the ground?"

                "That's the spirit.  It's only a couple feet, but I'll go first, just in case you need me to break your fall."

                "And here I thought chivalry was dead," she snarked.

                He just grinned at her, then slipped through the window and dropped to the ground in one fluid movement.

                "Anytime, Rapunzel," he called up softly.

                With a determined tilt of her chin, Paris clambered out the window, suddenly acutely aware that she was still wearing her Chilton skirt.  It was a fact not lost on Jess, either.  No one had ever accused him of being a gentleman, and when his eyes caught a flash of what appeared to be red satin, he didn't avert his gaze.

                Unfortunately, Paris was not oblivious to his stares.  "Do you _mind?" she snapped._

                "Not at all," he smirked.  "Red is one of my favorite colors."

                "Good, then you won't mind when I make you bleed."

                "Getting a bit vicious, aren't you?  Don't worry, I promise not to compromise your virtue."

                "How utterly reassuring," Paris said, while finally descending to the ground beside him.  "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have quite a bit of homework to do, so I need to get going."

                Without waiting for a reply, she spun on her heel and marched off in the direction of her car.

                "Not so fast, Paris," Jess called out.

                She ignored him, reaching into the pocket of her blazer for her keys.  Her brow furrowed when she didn't find them there, and then she heard a familiar jingle behind her.

                Turning, Paris saw her keys dangling from Jess' fingertips, the silver glinting in the moonlight.  Narrowing her eyes, she advanced on him.  "You picked my pocket?" she bit out.

                Jess shrugged.  "Something like that.  Now come in, I'm in the mood for a joyride."

                Paris closed the distance between them and grabbed for her keys, grunting with frustration when he held them above her head.  "If you think for one second that I'm going to let you drive my car, you're severely delusional."

                "Breathe, Frenchie.  You of all people deserve to cut loose a little.  It'll be fun."

                "I told you, I have homework."

                "So do I, but you don't see me worrying."

                "That's because you're a delinquent."

                "Ah, I see you got the memo from the Stars Hollow Town Council.  It's either joyriding with me or _Three's Company with Rory and Tristan."_

                "That's blackmail," she protested.

                "I thought you might recognize it.  Make your choice, or I'm calling in the cavalry."

                "I hate you."

                "I know.  But hey, there's a thin line…"

                "Shut up and drive, Jess."

*              *                *

                Rory and Tristan were in the kitchen setting out dinner when they heard a car engine roar to life.  Running to the front window, Rory was shocked to see Paris' BMW pulling away from the house, with Jess at the wheel.

                After recovering from her initial astonishment, Rory began to howl with laughter, causing Lorelai and Tristan to come running.

                "What's going on?" Tristan asked, immediately followed by Lorelai inquiring, "What's so funny?"

                Gasping for breath, it took Rory a moment before she could respond.  "Paris and Jess just left.  Together.  In Paris' car.  Jess was driving."

                Lorelai and Tristan stared at her in stunned silence.  It was Tristan who recovered first.

                "I guess you were right, Rory."

                "Why do you sound so shocked?" she teased.

                "I just didn't expect you to be right so _soon," he replied._

                "Never underestimate the power of a Gilmore girl."

                "I wouldn't dream of it.  Hey, now that the cheap entertainment is gone, can we eat dinner?"

                "Definitely," agreed Lorelai.

                "Besides, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can get back to our studying."

                "Doesn't she ever quit?" whined Tristan.

                "No, she's too stubborn."

                "Wonder where she gets that from," he mumbled.

                "Watch it, or I'll tell her to make you study extra hard."

                "You're a cruel woman, Lorelai.  I'm going to need sustenance for this."

                The two women nodded their agreement, and they headed back to the kitchen.

_To be continued…_


End file.
